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Cited by 223Family Dynamics and RelationshipsAttachment and Relationship DynamicsMarriage and Family Dynamics

Marital satisfaction and break-ups differ across on-line and off-line meeting venues

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Cacioppo, John T., Cacioppo, Stephanie, Gonzaga, Gian C., Ogburn, Elizabeth L., VanderWeele, Tyler J.·2013·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
DOI 10.1073/pnas.1222447110PMC PMC3690854
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Abstract

Marital discord is costly to children, families, and communities. The advent of the Internet, social networking, and on-line dating has affected how people meet future spouses, but little is known about the prevalence or outcomes of these marriages or the demographics of those involved. We addressed these questions in a nationally representative sample of 19,131 respondents who married between 2005 and 2012. Results indicate that more than one-third of marriages in America now begin on-line. In addition, marriages that began on-line, when compared with those that began through traditional off-line venues, were slightly less likely to result in a marital break-up (separation or divorce) and were associated with slightly higher marital satisfaction among those respondents who remained married. Demographic differences were identified between respondents who met their spouse through on-line vs. traditional off-line venues, but the findings for marital break-up and marital satisfaction remained significant after statistically controlling for these differences. These data suggest that the Internet may be altering the dynamics and outcomes of marriage itself.

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  1. [4]Gergen KJ, Gergen MM, Barton WH. Deviance in the dark. Psychol Today. 1973;7:129–130. [Google Scholar]
  2. [9]Houran J, Lange R, Rentfrow JP, Bruckner KH. Do online matchmaking tests work? An assessment of preliminary evidence for a publicized “predictive model of marital success.”. N Am J Psychol. 2004;6(3):507–526. [Google Scholar]

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Authors
Cacioppo, J. T., Cacioppo, S., Gonzaga, G. C., Ogburn, E. L., & VanderWeele, T. J.
Affiliations
  • University of Chicago (US)
  • Gestalt Research, Santa Monica, CA 90403; and
  • Harvard University (US)
ORCID
Venue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Publisher
National Academy of Sciences
Published
2013-06-03
Volume
110
Issue
25
Pages
10135-10140
ISSN
  • 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
  • 1091-6490
DOI
10.1073/pnas.1222447110
PMC
PMC3690854
OpenAlex
W2167914004
Cited by
223
References
8
Citations by year
2026: 14 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 34 · 2019: 28 · 2018: 19 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 18 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 3
FWCI
37.84
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (R01ES017876)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Demography › Family Dynamics and Relationships
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Marriage and Family Dynamics
Keywords
online dating, marriage, marital satisfaction, divorce, separation, meeting venue, social networking
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Data Collection, Divorce, Female, Humans, Leisure Activities, Male, Marriage, Middle Aged, Personal Satisfaction, Schools, Social Behavior, Socioeconomic Factors, United States, Workplace, Young Adult, Social Media

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