College Dating And Social Anxiety Article Analysis

Article Analysis: College Dating and Social Anxiety

Jane Simeon

Psychology 300 - 7:00pm

Article Analysis - Group 1

Dr. Zasloff

19 March 2014

1. Article Details: “College Dating and Social Anxiety” is an article written by Sarah Stevens and Tracy Morris. It was published in CyberPsychology & Behavior in 2007.

2. Previous Research: There is a debate as to whether Internet use has a positive or negative impact in our social lives. One study found that for 40% of the college students in their sample, the Internet had been instrumental in the formation of new friendships. Moreover, 7% of their sample had used the Internet to find a romantic partner. The participants in the study claimed that one of the main benefits of communicating through the Internet was reduced social anxiety and shyness (Knox, 2001). In another study, there was evidence that lonely individuals were more likely to use email and the Internet in order to stay connected with others—in theory, giving them a healthier social life—however, evidence showed that heavy use had a negative social impact (Morahan-Martin, 2003). Finally, another study found that individuals comfortable or regularly involved in social gatherings reported more positive effects from Internet use than shy individuals less involved in their community (Kraut, 2002).

3. Purpose of the Study: The researchers did this study in order to learn about how the Internet plays a role in the world of college dating for both students with and without social anxiety. The first hypothesis was that those more with social anxiety are less likely to do dating activities. The second hypothesis was that those with more social anxiety are more likely to use the Internet for s...

... middle of paper ...

...ps.

This study was done in 2007, and from it, I learned that the knowledge gained in past psychological studies doesn’t just get ignored—forever doomed to never make a difference in someone’s life. All the studies listed in the reference section of this paper had some part to play in making this study, and this study in turn added to the collective knowledge of this topic. Even with its faults and limitations, procedures can be improved, and new studies, validating previous results or exploring different variables, would emerge. It is now 2014, and as someone who suffers social anxiety, I know that communicating with others through anonymous Internet chat sites is now recommended by counselors as a viable way of practicing social interaction; and, there are now a great many support group forums to choose from dedicated solely to helping those with social phobias.