When you think of Tinder, what’s the first thing that pops into your head? If it’s casual hookups, you’re not alone—but according to new research, using the app—or ones like it—doesn’t necessarily lead to more short-term sexual flings.
In the study published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, researchers looked at survey results from 600 Norwegian students. Now, obviously that makes it hard to speak on Tinder use universally, but what they found fits within the context of established scientific findings on human sexuality. Basically, everyone has a level of “sociosexuality,” which indicates how inclined you are to having casual sexual relationships—and researchers found that Tinder itself does not alter it.
According to the study authors, if you’re someone who likes having hookups, you’re going to find them whether you’re swiping through a dating app or standing in line for cold brew.
According to the study authors, if you’re someone who likes having flings, you’re going to find them whether you’re swiping through a dating app or standing in line for cold brew. And if you’re someone who doesn’t, Tinder doesn’t suddenly change that. It just comes down to whether you already have that mindset or not. “Dating app users don’t have more casual sexual partners than others with the same short-term preference,” Mons Bendixen, PhD, said in a press release.
Fair enough, but there’s also the argument that anyone who’s ever tried to eat healthier while their roommate is baking cookies night after night will understand: If it’s right there, you’ll probably be a lot more tempted.
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