Gender Roles and Mobile Dating Applications: Exploring Links Between User Characteristics and Traditional Gender Expressions in Self-Presentations.

This linkage study examined the prevalence of traditional gender expressions in the textual and visual profile cues on mobile dating applications (MDA) (nbiographies = 396, npictures = 1352) of 396 young adults' (Mage = 22.39 years, SD = 2.86, 73% women) with attention to users' gender, sexual orientation, and platform type. For 184 users (Mage = 22.10 years, SD = 2.91, 75% women) media content data were linked to self-report survey data. Results showed that individuals aligned their self-presentations with traditional gender roles and expectations, and this link depended on their gender. No significant differences according to individuals' sexual orientation or platform type were found. Individuals' (hyper-) gender orientation also related to engagement in traditional gender expressions. Specifically, women with a stronger feminine gender orientation expressed more traditional femininity in their MDA profiles. For men, no significant associations between (aspects of) a masculine gender orientation and expressing traditional masculinity in their MDA profiles were found. Future research should further disentangle selective gendered self-presentations.

Behind the Screens: A Systematic Literature Review of Quantitative Research on Mobile Dating.

Mobile dating applications (MDAs) have become commonly used tools to seek out dating and sexual partners online. The current review aimed to systematically synthesize empirical findings in 72 quantitative studies on mobile dating, published in ISI-ranked journals between 2014 and 2020. This review focused on summarizing different approaches toward mobile dating, identity features of quantitative research on mobile dating, and hypothesized antecedents and outcomes of mobile dating. Our findings showed, first, that the literature diverges in how mobile dating is operationalized. Second, quantitative research on mobile dating predominantly consists of cross-sectional studies that draw on theoretical insights from multiple disciplines. Third, a variety of traits and sociodemographics were associated with MDA use. In particular, using MDAs for (1) relational goals related to being male, non-heterosexual, higher levels of sociosexuality, sensation seeking, extraversion, and holding more positive peer norms about using MDAs for relational goals; (2) intrapersonal goals related to being female and having more socially impairing traits; and (3) entertainment goals related to having higher levels of sociosexuality, sensation seeking, and antisocial traits. Outcomes significantly associated with general use of MDAs were scoring higher on sexual permissiveness and on engaging in casual (unprotected) sexual intercourse, as well as having higher risk at nonconsensual sex. MDA use was also connected with increased psychological distress and body dissatisfaction. Shortcomings of the existing research approaches and measures are discussed and six methodological and theoretical recommendations for future research are provided.

A Prototype Willingness Approach to the Relation Between Geo-social Dating Apps and Willingness to Sext with Dating App Matches.

Despite voiced concerns about sexual online risk behaviors related to mobile dating, little is known about the relation between mobile dating and sexting. The current cross-sectional study (N = 286) examined the relations between the use of geo-social dating apps and emerging adults' willingness to sext with a dating app match. By drawing on the prototype willingness model, both a reasoned path and a social reaction path are proposed to explain this link. As for the reasoned path, a structural equation model showed that more frequent dating app usage is positively related to norm beliefs about peers' sexting behaviors with unknown dating app matches (i.e., descriptive norms), norm beliefs about peers' approval of sexting with matches (i.e., subjective norms), and negatively related to perceptions of danger to sext with matches (i.e., risk attitude). In turn, descriptive norms were positively and risk attitudes were negatively associated with individuals' own willingness to sext with someone they had met through a dating app. As for the social reaction path, it was found that more frequent dating app usage was positively related to emerging adults' favorable evaluations of a prototype person who sexts with unknown dating app matches (i.e., prototype perceptions). The analyses further revealed that such prototype perceptions positively linked with emerging adults' own willingness to sext with a match. These results were similar among women and men and help explain why individuals may be willing to engage in sexting behavior with unknown others.

Social Media Use, Social Media Stress, and Sleep: Examining Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Relationships in Adolescents.

There are concerns that social media (SM) use and SM stress may disrupt sleep. However, evidence on both the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships is limited. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to address this gap in the literature by examining the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between SM use, SM stress, and sleep (i.e., sleep latency and daytime sleepiness) in adolescents. In total, 1,441 adolescents 11-15 years, 51% boys) filled out a survey in at least one of three waves that were three to four months apart (NWave1 = 1,241; NWave2 = 1,216; NWave3 = 1,103). Cross-sectionally, we found that SM use and SM stress were positively related to sleep latency and daytime sleepiness. However, when examined together, SM use was not a significant predictor of sleep latency and daytime sleepiness above the effects of SM stress. The longitudinal findings showed that SM stress was positively related to subsequent sleep latency and daytime sleepiness, but only among girls. Our findings stress that it is important to focus on how adolescents perceive and cope with their SM use, instead of focusing on the mere frequency of SM use.

Identifying teens at risk: developmental pathways of online and offline sexual risk behavior.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were (1) to investigate the prevalence and development of both online (OnSRB) and offline sexual risk behavior (OffSRB) in adolescence, (2) to establish whether OnSRBs and OffSRBs are related, and (3) to identify risk factors that determine problematic pathways of OnSRB and OffSRB. METHODS: A 4-wave longitudinal study with 1762 Dutch adolescents aged 12 to 18 was conducted (mean age, T1 = 14.52, 49% girls). By using group-based modeling, developmental pathways for OnSRB and OffSRB were identified and the relationship between both behaviors over time was examined. RESULTS: Substantial intraindividual differences in the development of OnSRB and OffSRB were found. The analysis revealed 3 developmental pathways of OnSRB: no risk (70.2%), moderate risk (23.7%), and high risk (6.1%). For OffSRB, we identified a no risk (90.6%) and an increasing pathway (9.4%). OnSRBs and OffSRBs were related and had common predictors (ie, sensation seeking, low educational level, gender). CONCLUSIONS: Only a minority of adolescents shows sustained high OnSRB. This group is likely to consist of low-educated, high-sensation-seeking adolescents who spend more time communicating on the Internet and come from less cohesive families. These same adolescents are also more likely to engage in OffSRB. Preventions should focus on these adolescents.

Developmental trajectories of peer victimization: off-line and online experiences during adolescence.

PURPOSE: This study investigated the development and consequences of off-line and online victimization during adolescence. We examined the number and shapes of off-line and online victimization trajectories, the relationship between trajectories of off-line and online victimization, and their effect on life satisfaction. METHODS: A four-wave panel study with 6-month time intervals was conducted among a representative sample of Dutch adolescents aged 12-17 years (N = 1,762). We used group-based modeling to investigate the victimization trajectories. RESULTS: Three off-line victimization trajectories could be distinguished. One group followed a trajectory of low to no victimization experiences across adolescence. A second group followed a pathway of moderate and decreasing victimization. A third group followed a pathway of high and decreasing victimization. Two groups in online victimization could be distinguished. One group followed a trajectory of low to no victimization experiences. A second group followed a pathway of moderate victimization that peaked at age 14. Dual-trajectory analyses revealed a substantial overlap between off-line and online victimization trajectories. Finally, victimization and life satisfaction were longitudinally related; moderate and high victimization trajectories resulted in lower levels of life satisfaction during wave 4. CONCLUSIONS: The overlap between the off-line and online victimization trajectories and their negative consequences on life satisfaction suggests that prevention of victimization should focus on both types of victimization. The results suggest that peer victimization should not be studied without considering adolescent peer relationships on the Internet.

Gender differences in online and offline self-disclosure in pre-adolescence and adolescence.

Although there is developmental research on the prevalence of offline self-disclosure in pre-adolescence and adolescence, it is still unknown (a) how boys' and girls'online self-disclosure develops in this period and (b) how online and offline self-disclosure interact with each other. We formulated three hypotheses to explain the possible interaction between online and offline self-disclosure: the displacement, the rich-get-richer, and the rehearsal hypothesis. We surveyed 690 pre-adolescents and adolescents (10-17 years) at three time points with half-year intervals in between. We found significant gender differences in the developmental trajectories of self-disclosure. For girls, both online and offline self-disclosure increased sharply during pre- (10-11 years) and early adolescence (12-13 years), and then stabilized in middle and late adolescence. For boys, the same trajectory was found although the increase in self-disclosure started 2 years later. We found most support for the rehearsal hypothesis: Both boys and girls seemed to use online self-disclosure to rehearse offline self-disclosure skills. This particularly held for boys in early adolescence who typically have difficulty disclosing themselves offline.

A prepared speech in front of a pre-recorded audience: subjective, physiological, and neuroendocrine responses to the Leiden Public Speaking Task.

This study describes a new public speaking protocol for youth. The main question asked whether a speech prepared at home and given in front of a pre-recorded audience creates a condition of social-evaluative threat. Findings showed that, on average, this task elicits a moderate stress response in a community sample of 83 12- to 15-year-old adolescents. During the speech, participants reported feeling more nervous and having higher heart rate and sweatiness of the hands than at baseline or recovery. Likewise, physiological (heart rate and skin conductance) and neuroendocrine (cortisol) activity were higher during the speech than at baseline or recovery. Additionally, an anticipation effect was observed: baseline levels were higher than recovery levels for most variables. Taking the anticipation and speech response together, a substantial cortisol response was observed for 55% of participants. The findings indicate that the Leiden Public Speaking Task might be particularly suited to investigate individual differences in sensitivity to social-evaluative situations.

The developmental pattern of resistance to peer influence in adolescence: will the teenager ever be able to resist?

Common folklore seems to suggest that adolescents are particularly susceptible to peer influence. However, from the literature the exact age differences in susceptibility to peer influence remain unclear. The current study's main focus was to chart the development of general susceptibility to peer pressure in a community sample of 10-18 year olds (N =464) with the recently developed Resistance to Peer Influence Scale (RPI). The one-factor structure of the RPI was cross-validated in the present sample, and the RPI was equally reliable at all ages. As expected, general resistance to peer influence increased during adolescence. In addition, gender differences were most pronounced during mid-adolescence, when girls were more resistant to peer influence than boys. These findings are explained in terms of psychosocial maturation during adolescence.