College Dating Across Cultures: Exploring Online and Offline Motives, Religiosity, Uncertainty Avoidance, and Perceived Dating Success

Drawing on uses and gratification theory, this quantitative study examined the relationship between dating motives (long-term vs. casual), dating modes (online vs. offline), perceived dating success, as well as uncertainty avoidance among college students (n=270) seeking relationships across the globe. Additionally, it studied the cultural and religious aspects of dating behavior, adding to a more complex understanding of modern dating situations. Results showed that online daters more frequently reported long-term relationship motives than offline daters, and offline daters more frequently reported dating for casual sex than online daters. Long-term motives were positively correlated with perceived dating success, and casual motives were negatively correlated. Those who identified as religious sought more casual relationships. Offline daters reported greater uncertainty avoidance, and participants with higher uncertainty avoidance perceived less dating success. The study, while exploratory, helps understand college students’ dating behaviors and begins to interpret how religion and uncertainty avoidance explain these behaviors.