Love Without Borders: Explaining Why People Interact with National Out-Groups on Tinder

Abstract

Despite our tendency to select romantic partners who are similar to us, a growing body of research seems to suggest that online dating may increase the diversity of couples. However, to this day, there is no clarity around what might drive users to cross social boundaries on these platforms. Building on the Theory of Reasoned Action, we propose a model that integrates individual (e.g. attitudes, perceived norms), relational (e.g. intergroup contact, social identity), and platform-specific antecedents (e.g. use motivation, experience) that could explain national-identity-based intergroup interactions on Tinder. Based on a survey with 668 adult Tinder users living in the Netherlands and the UK, recruited through an online panel, we found that norms and attitudes both positively related to intentions to date national out-groups, which was in turn associated with behavior. Intergroup contact positively relates to intergroup dating norms and, in turn, intergroup dating intentions. The strength of social identity and different motives for using Tinder did not influence intentions. Frequent Tinder usage was linked to greater out-group dating intentions, suggesting online dating could lead to more diverse relationships regarding nationality. Findings highlight the role of intergroup contact and social norms in digital romantic settings.