Table 2.
Responses to: “When you’ve used online personals sites, what were you really seeking?” a n (%)
| Heterosexual | Gay/Lesbian | Bisexual | χ2 (2) | p | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEN | |||||
| Just browsing/curious | 3190 (56.1) | 171 (56.6) | 164 (50.8) | 3.6 | 0.17 |
| To test my sex appeal | 1020 (17.9) | 81 (26.8) | 77 (23.8) | 21.0 | < .001 |
| Flirtatious chat (I didn’t really want to meet anyone) | 878 (15.4) | 73 (24.2) | 51 (15.8) | 16.4 | < .001 |
| Sexual chat | 1111 (19.5) | 102 (33.8) | 108 (33.4) | 67.4 | < .001 |
| Dating for fun | 1443 (25.4) | 113 (37.4) | 66 (20.4) | 26.7 | < .001 |
| Someone for a serious relationship | 1759 (30.9) | 146 (48.3) | 74 (22.9) | 51.7 | < .001 |
| Someone for a discreet affair (I was in a committed relationship) | 1065 (18.7) | 43 (14.2) | 142 (44.0) | 128.8 | < .001 |
| New Friends | 996 (17.5) | 132 (43.7) | 76 (23.5) | 132.0 | < .001 |
| WOMEN | |||||
| Just browsing/curious | 1092 (56.2) | 32 (51.6) | 127 (51.2) | 2.6 | 0.27 |
| To test my sex appeal | 273 (14.1) | 9 (14.5) | 55 (22.2) | 11.4 | < .01 |
| Flirtatious chat (I didn’t really want to meet anyone) | 320 (16.5) | 9 (14.5) | 68 (27.4) | 18.6 | < .001 |
| Sexual chat | 131 (6.7) | 8 (12.9) | 71 (28.6) | 125.5 | < .001 |
| Dating for fun | 535 (27.5) | 20 (32.3) | 81 (32.7) | 3.3 | 0.19 |
| Someone for a serious relationship | 801 (41.2) | 26 (41.9) | 71 (28.6) | 14.7 | < .001 |
| Someone for a discreet affair (I was in a committed relationship) | 94 (4.8) | 3 (4.8) | 48 (19.4) | n/a | -- |
| New Friends | 518 (26.7) | 34 (54.8) | 97 (39.1) | 37.6 | < .001 |
n/a: χ2 not performed, expected counts < 5 in one or more cells
a
Base: Those who had logged on to personals sites (N=8566)