Associations between picture-based mobile dating app use, sociosexuality, self-perceived mate value and self-esteem

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore the use of picture-based mobile dating app (PBMDA) use, and to investigate its associations primarily to sociosexuality. This study also explores PBMDA-use in relation to self-perceived mate value and global self-esteem. The study was conducted among Norwegian 18-30 year old university students (N = 651) who completed a questionnaire in class. 300 participants were current or former users of PBMDAs. Sociosexual orientation was assessed with the Sociosexual Orientation Inventory Revised (SOI-R), selfperceived mate value was assessed with a version of the Mate Value Inventory (MVI), and global self-esteem was assessed with a Single-Item Self-Esteem Scale (SISE). We found that PBMDA-users tend to report higher SOI scores than participants who had never used PBMDAs, and that PBMDA-use was more strongly linked to SOI than sex. Our data showed no association between SOI and MVI, and found no sex differences in this association. In addition, we found participants SOI scores to be associated with activity on PBMDAs, and that male PBMDA-users were more interested in casual sex than female PBMDA-users. There were no significant differences in global self-esteem between PBMDA-users and participants who had never used PBMDAs. To our knowledge this is the first quantitative study of PBMDA-use in a Norwegian population.