This assignment focused on similar topics as assignment 1, of online dating. More specifically, it started out by reading an article on interpersonal attraction, then reading definitions of the term “niche”, then reading an article about niche online dating sites. Following this, we had to find out about a niche dating site that was not mentioned in the articles, and make a discussion board post about it, describing what it is and why daters may enjoy it.
The article on interpersonal attraction defined it as “The attraction between people which leads to a platonic or romantic relationships”. It went on to describe how this is measured, what causes it, and explained some social psychology principles related to the term. A couple of the big terms that were discussed were the propinquity effect, the mere exposure effect, and the similarity attraction effect.
The article on niche dating websites described how they are used because people have trouble meeting people they connect with and people have very different lifestyles. Providing a cite for people who are similar in some way can make it easier connect, and find someone that fits better with you. A few of the sites referenced were “Farmers Only”, “VeggieDate”, “GlutenFreeSingles”, and “Trek Passions”.
The niche dating site that I found is called Gamer Dating. This site is intended for and created by gamers, or people who love videogames. You can search, browse, and find matches, or if you do not want to date, you can just participate in the gamer-themed forums. Also, when you register, you receive a free game you can play.
I wrote about how there are many social psychology principles of interpersonal attraction, why daters might enjoy this site. One reason is the similarity-attraction effect, as people are attracted to others that are similar to them. In this case, gamers may be attracted to others on the site because they are also gamers! This relates to their attitudes and interests.
The mere exposure effect or propinquity effect could play a role as well. For example, the more time they spend on the site and use the features, they will likely come to like it more. Additionally, when interacting with other users online, the more they do it, the more they will like those users, according to these principles. These are also reasons why daters may enjoy the site.
Additionally, it is possible that complementarity can also play a role. Even though people are attracted to those who are similar, it can still be attractive if people are different in some ways. The site allows users to explain a little about themselves on their profile, so some users may look for certain features that differ from them and like the differences. This can lead users to enjoy this site too!
Reflecting on this assignment, it was first very cool to read about the principles underlying interpersonal attraction. I had actually learned about many of these principles in previous psychology classes, but they were nice to review, and apply them directly to the topic of attraction. This is always fun, because it allows me to think about how these principles effect my own feelings of why I am attracted to other people.
Additionally, it was really cool to read up about niche dating websites. I had always seen commercials for sites such as “Farmers Only” or “Black People Meet” on TV, but I never thought much of them. I never really imagined why people would not just use traditional dating apps. However, reading the article allowed me to see the benefits of niche websites, and how it can be advantageous in order to find a partner similar to yourself.
It was also very interesting to search online for other niche dating sites, because I ended up finding so many that I had never even heard of, or never thought that they could exist. For example, the first one I ran into was for bikers, which I never expected! It allowed me to learn about what types of things some people look for in a partner, and broaden my horizons a bit.
The combination of reading about a topic and searching for information myself allowed me to maximize my learning on the topic. This assignment was set up very well, because I gained a lot of information, and I also enjoyed parts of it, which many assignments don’t usually lead me to experience.
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