Cross-cultural comparisons of social penetration on reality dating television: A look at First Dates UK and First Dates South Africa

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Research into the initiation of romantic relationships through first dates has aided in a deeper understanding into the important norms that make for a successful first romantic encounter through variables such as the role of attachment, attractiveness and goals involved in these encounters. Yet there remains an underappreciation of the communicative processes in the social dynamics across different cultural contexts in these first romantic encounters using non-student samples. Of particular importance is the role of how partners balance the information needs of presenting themselves as a suitable partner while simultaneously assessing the suitability of their date as a potential mate. By doing so, a social exchange paradigm is often implemented in the process to find love. Through social penetration theory (SPT) as a predictive lens, I compare how couples on the first seasons of First Dates UK (2013–present) (n = 12) and First Dates South Africa (2019) (n = 10) moved through the stages of intimacy as a result of mutual communication. Textual analysis suggests that cultural variation in the communicative act of self-disclosure was less of a predictor than was the desire to form an intimate bond.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)317-330
Number of pages14
JournalJournal of Popular Television
Volume12
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2024

Keywords

  • initial romantic encounters
  • openness–closedness
  • relational dialectics
  • relationship science
  • romantic relationship initiation
  • self-disclosure

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Communication

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Cross-cultural comparisons of social penetration on reality dating television: A look at First Dates UK and First Dates South Africa'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this