Being online daters or not : effects of individual factors, peers influence, and social reality

This study aimed to bolster knowledge regarding the factors affecting adoption behaviors of online dating sites. We held the view that the adoption of online dating sites is not only a diffusion of innovation process but also an outcome of the interactions among individual, peers and society. Using the data collected from a telephone interview by the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project in U.S., this study explored the role of perceived usefulness, perceived peer influence and perceived social reality in the adoption process. As a result, perceived usefulness of online dating sites was found to be the principal factor in influencing one's choice of online dating sites. Also, perceived peer influence had been considered as another influential factor in this adoption process. However, perceived social reality had shown no impacts towards this adoption decision.