Reconfiguring Relationships: Technologies of Choice

William Dutton, Joshua Melville, and Bernie Hogan

Me, My Spouse, and the Internet ProjectOxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford

Presentation for Symposium on ‘Relationships and the Internet’, Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, 9 December 2011.

Reconfiguring Access

• 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011• Cross-sectional Surveys versus Panels• Multi-Stage Probability Sample • England, Scotland & Wales • Respondents: 14 years and older• Face-to-face Interviews, High Response Rates• Sponsorship for 2011 from the Nominet Trust,

British Library, Ofcom, O2, and ITV.com• Component of World Internet Project (WIP)

Oxford Internet Surveys

Meeting New People Online, 2005-2011

Supported by eHarmony (2008 - 2011) eHarmony Labs in developing and adapting indicators OII examining the role of the Internet in relationships

Phase I (July 2008 - February 2009) Four nation online survey research (Australia, Spain, UK and USA)

Phase II (March 2009 – March 2010) Pretest of Key Items: 16 countries in12 languages across Europe and Asia

Wave 1 (Mar - May 2010): Pan-European survey –16 countries in 9 languages

Wave 2 (June - July 2010): Survey in Brazil and Japan

Wave 3 (Nov 2010 - Feb 2011): 12 countries (East Europe & Asia)

Phase III (March 2011 – March 2012)

Final Waves: totalling 21 countries and focusing on analysis

Me, My Spouse, and the Internet

◘ Attraction and selection

Where do we meet?

Do we meet different people online? Reconfiguring relationships?

◘ Maintaining relationships

Which tools do we use to communicate? For better or worse?

What do we communicate about on the internet?

◘ Netiquette:

Which expectations do we have about online behaviour (of our partners)

What do we consider acceptable behaviour?

Me, My Spouse and the Internet Study

Online survey : sample recruited by Toluna (Online Access Panel Company) Survey development and analysis: collaboration of OII and eHarmony Labs 21 countries, approaching 24,000 respondents, 12,000 couples

Team:

Bernie Hogan, Grant Blank, Bill Dutton, Joshua Melville, Oxford Internet Institute

Nai Li, Ellen Helsper, formerly at the Oxford Internet Institute

eHarmony Labs

Professor Monica Whitty, University of Leicester

Participants in a series of symposia at the OII

Research Method : Online Surveys

Respondents of Online Surveys to 2011

Percent Who Have Met Someone Online that They Then Met Offline

Use of the Internet in Meeting Partner(s)

Percent of Relationships that Began Online, by Year

Percent of Cohabiting Relationships that Began Online (10 Year Age Bins)

Reconfiguring Access

How might the Internet reconfigure relationships?

• Specific – no general bias in introducing couples

• Systematically Biased:

• Greater Variety from a Larger Pool*

• Greater Similarity: Echo Chamber

*Dutton, W. H., Helsper, E. J., Whitty, M. T., Li, N., Buckwalter, J. G., and Lee, E. (2009), ‘The Role of the Internet in Reconfiguring Marriages: a Cross-national Study’, Interpersona: An International Journal on Personal Relationships, 2(2), December: 3-18.

Personalities: Big Five Concepts

N = 23,864 individuals

How might the Internet reconfigure relationships?

• Specific – no general bias in introducing couples

• Systematically Biased:

• Greater Variety from a Larger Pool*

• Greater Similarity: Echo Chamber

*Dutton, W. H., Helsper, E. J., Whitty, M. T., Li, N., Buckwalter, J. G., and Lee, E. (2009), ‘The Role of the Internet in Reconfiguring Marriages: a Cross-national Study’, Interpersona: An International Journal on Personal Relationships, 2(2), December: 3-18.