The Development of Online and Offline Romantic Relationships: A Turning Point Study by Sophia W. McDowell

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The present study has continued the empirical exploration of the increasingly popular phenomenon of online dating. In particular, it has looked more closely into the process of development of online relationships and at the types of events that participants in these relationships report as being important. It found that though there are some interesting unique features in online romances, many characteristics of such relationships are relatively similar to those of their face-to-face counterparts. This study also successfully adapted Huston et al.’s (1981) Retrospective Interview Technique (RIT) into an online format. For better or for worse, computer technology is now a mainstay in both our work and personal worlds. It is important that as technology develops and takes on new forms, researchers continue to explore its effects on our lives and also employ it to further their work in beneficial ways.

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