Attached at the Hinge: Relationship Initiation in Dating Apps

Abstract

The increased use of online dating apps presents an alternative way for individuals to seek out and initiate relationships that can differ from face-to-face interactions. Previous research has found that attachment orientation can offer insight into the characteristics that lead to differences in behaviour on dating apps. This research aimed to explore how undergraduate university students’ attachment orientations can influence their initiation of relationships on online dating apps. We hypothesized that participants who score higher in attachment anxiety would be more likely to engage in relationship initiation on dating apps, whereas participants who score higher in attachment avoidance would be less likely to engage in relationship initiation on dating apps. Data was collected from 130 participants currently enrolled in university through a quantitative survey hosted on Qualtrics. Multiple regression analyses found that anxious attachment was significantly associated with greater relationship initiation on dating apps. Dating apps may reflect a unique context that nullifies associations between attachment orientation and initiation behaviours found in previous research. Our findings propose important considerations for future research and encourage further investigation into the influence that attachment orientation can have on the initiation of relationships on online dating apps.