RESUMEN
In this piece, we propose that entertainment media is an understudied source of misinformation and relationship science is an understudied domain of misinformation. We discuss two ways that relationship misinformation can appear in entertainment media - in the form of blatant claims and subtle content - and we provide an example of each from reality and entertainment television. We also propose an agenda for studying relationship misinformation and a set of questions to guide future research. We conclude by calling attention to the potential harms of such information on individuals and relationships.
Asunto(s)
Comunicación , Relaciones Interpersonales , Televisión , HumanosRESUMEN
This study examines digitally enabled mate poaching on Ashley Madison, an online dating platform for extradyadic affairs. To explore mate poaching as a potential explanation for what drives users of Ashley Madison to transition their online relationships to offline encounters, we conducted a multinational survey of 1,676 users (88.5 percent male, Mage = 50.98). Participants provided open-ended data about their mate poaching objectives, which ranged from short-term sexual encounters to long-term sexual and emotional affairs and new exclusive relationships. Structural equation modeling showed that participants' attitudes toward online infidelity predicted whether they would consider meeting someone from the website in person. Mate poaching intentions also mediated the effect of attitudes toward online infidelity on the likelihood of meeting another user face to face in the future. The results extend evolutionary theories of mate poaching to the digital dating environment and demonstrate the value of these perspectives for explaining relationship initiation practices on infidelity websites.