The centrality of physical appearance in dating app environments may constitute an appearance-related pressure that increases the likelihood of body dissatisfaction (BD) and disordered eating (DE), thus exacerbating the relationship between DE-predictive traits and DE itself. Although dating app use has been linked to BD and DE, prior research has also neglected the role of individuals' dating app use motivations and relevant traits in eating pathology. To address these gaps, the current study investigated whether dating app usage moderated the effects of appearance-based rejection sensitivity, fear of negative evaluation, emotion dysregulation, and perceived social rank on DE. We also examined the unique effects of individuals' dating app use motivations on DE. Participants (N = 690) completed baseline measures of demographic and trait variables including dating app usage. DE was positively associated with female gender, higher body mass index, a history of eating disorder (ED) diagnosis, appearance-based rejection sensitivity, and emotion dysregulation. There was a small, positive association between dating app usage and DE, indicating that dating app users were more likely to report DE symptoms, appearance-based rejection sensitivity, and emotion dysregulation. No investigated predictor was moderated by dating app usage, but four of the six measured motivations for using dating apps (love, self-worth, ease of communication, and thrill of excitement motivations) were associated with DE among the dating app user sample (casual sex and trendiness motivations were not). Given that DE behaviours can lead to EDs, the present findings suggest that lifetime dating app usage may increase socio-cultural appearance pressures that confer risk for DE.
Keywords: Dating apps; Disordered eating; Emotion regulation; Rejection sensitivity; Social rank.
Existing research evidence, although scant, has linked dating app use to body dissatisfaction (BD) and disordered eating (DE). Yet, little is known about the relationship between individuals’ dating app use motivations and relevant traits in eating pathology. To address these gaps, the current study investigated whether dating app usage moderated the effects of appearance-based rejection sensitivity (appearance-RS), fear of negative evaluation (FNE), emotion dysregulation, and perceived social rank on DE, and the unique association between individuals’ dating app use motivations and DE. Participants (N = 690) completed baseline measures of demographic and trait variables including dating app usage. We found that dating app users were more likely to engage in DE behaviours, appearance-RS, and emotion dysregulation than non-users. Furthermore, four of the six measured motivations for using dating apps were associated with DE among the dating app user sample. We conclude that lifetime dating app usage may constitute a socio-cultural appearance pressure which confers DE risk. Our results showed also novel insights into the varied motivations for dating app use and their impacts on DE. As dating app use continues to proliferate, enhancing our understanding of how, why and for whom it may be harmful remains a salient area of research.
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