Swiping right for love? : A study about the relationship between Tinder usage and self-esteem

Sammanfattning: In order of measuring the relationship between Tinder intensity and self-esteem, the Tinder Intensity Scale was developed in this present study. The scale was developed with help from exploratory factor analysis (EFA) measuring dimensionality and Cronbach's alpha testing the interrelations between the scale items. The EFA found that the Tinder Intensity Scale (Cronbach’s alpha 0.75) consists of two dimensions, one measuring frequency and emotional connection and the other measured dating behavior, such as being the first one to contact a match. The index-scores were used to measure the relationship between the self-esteem score and Tinder Intensity Scale and the scales’ two dimensions. The findings of this study suggest that the relationship between self-esteem and Tinder intensity is rather weak for both men and women, but slightly higher for men’s dating behavior and self-esteem. A reason for this could be due to the low intensity on Tinder in this sample. For future research, it is suggested to examine the relationship on a larger sample. Another suggestion is to determine causality between Tinder use and self-esteem by doing a longitudinal study, where self-esteem is measured pre-Tinder usage and after using Tinder.