Meet Joe Black? The Effects of Mortality Salience and Similarity on the Desire to Date In-Group vs. Out-Group Members in an Online Dating Context

• In Event: Intergroup or Alcohol (but Not Intergroup With Alcohol)

Abstract

Online dating has become an important resource for building romantic relationships. Thereby attitudinal similarities and group-membership have been found to be just as important for online as for offline dating. Research on terror management theory has shown that both similarity and group-membership play a key role in managing existential threats, indicating difficulties for either dissimilar or intergroup couples. Yet, no study—so far—has investigated both factors simultaneously after mortality salience (MS).
The current study examined this question by presenting German participants (N=249) with a bogus dating-app that randomly assigned them to a MS or a control condition. Afterwards a candidate following a 2(In- vs. Out-group member) × 2(Similar vs. Dissimilar) design was suggested. Results confirmed the expected three-way interaction. After MS, in contrast to the control group, similarity increased only the desire to date in- but not out-group members. The role of existential threats for intergroup relationships is discussed.

Authors

• Lena Frischlich, University of Cologne

• Diana Rieger, University of Cologne

• Thomas Dratsch, U of Cologne

• Gary Bente, U of Cologne