EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES (EJSS)
Online Dating in the U.S. During this Politically Divided Time: Association among Political Affiliation, Gender Role Beliefs, and Partner Preferences
E-ISSN: 4899-5667
P-ISSN: 1450-2267
DOI: https://iigdpublishers.com/article/506
While there has been a surge in popularity of online dating, the current polarized political climate in the U.S. may influence how online daters select a desired partner. The present study examined the relation between political affiliation, partner preferences, and gender beliefs with a sample of 373 online dating users. Democrats (n = 196) showed stronger preference for an intimate partner of the same party compared to Republicans (n = 90). Democrats (particularly women) also identified that having a different political affiliation as a deal-breaker more so than Republicans. Regarding gender role beliefs, Republicans (particularly men) showed significantly higher traditional gender role beliefs than Democrats. However, gender-based differences were not observed among Democrats; both Democratic men and women showed equally less traditional gender role beliefs compared to Republican women and men. Implications for dating prospects, particularly for Republican men, are discussed.
Michiko Iwasaki PhD, Diana Betz PhD & Jeffrey M. Lating PhD
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