Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Dating apps are popular worldwide among young adults, and the Tinder use motivation scale is widely used to measure the primary motives for dating app use. In light of the increasing prevalence of dating apps among young Chinese adults, this study applied both item response theory and traditional classical test theory to examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the dating app use motivation scale that is applicable across different dating apps.
From the original item pool, this study selected 25 items according to item response theory analysis, retracted six factors based on exploratory factor analysis EFA , and conducted confirmatory factor analysis for further validation. The motivations were seeking a relationship, self-worth validation, the thrill of excitement, ease of communication, emotion-focused coping, and fun.
The first four motivations were consistent with the original scale, and two new motivations were found in the present sample.
All six motivations were validated among the Chinese sample. Not consistent with the Tinder use motivation scale, casual sex was not identified as a primary motivation among young Chinese adults. One related measure was used to obtain convergent validity. The discussion focused on the cultural and methodological factors that may explain the differences between the original scale and the Chinese version of the scale.
Dating apps enable people to pursue a romantic or sexual partner using their phone. The past decade has witnessed a dramatic growth in dating app use: Tinder has been downloaded more than million times and led to over 60 billion matches across countries since its launch in [ 1 ]. Amid the pandemic, the number of exchanges and the length of interactions on Tinder saw a sharp increase because many in-person social areas were shut down [ 2 ]. People from Western countries mainly use Tinder, while Chinese people use local apps with similar functions.
