Psychologists' beliefs and advocacy regarding the formation of romantic relationships through Internet communication

The recent uses of the Internet have opened new realms for individuals to communicate socially with one another. The Internet is an often-discussed aspect of relationship formation, and has given rise to a new class of relationships called Computer Mediated Relationships (CMR). This study investigated psychologists' views on the clinical implications of the interpersonal relationships that are formed on the Internet. The study explored psychologists' views regarding how people become attracted to one another online, as well as the clinical impact that these relationships have on an individual. This paper also attempted to answer the following questions: What kinds of people do psychologists believe are using the Internet to form relationships? How do psychologists rate the likely success of these relationships? How open and honest do psychologists believe these individuals are in their computer-mediated relationships? The study hypothesized that younger psychologists are more likely than older psychologists to view Internet personal ads as being just as safe as other singles venues, and they are more likely than older psychologists to discuss Internet dating, in terms of creating and responding to Internet personal ads. The study also hypothesized that younger psychologists are more likely than older psychologists to advocate Internet personal ads and singles websites for dating and forming relationships. The study also hypothesized that cognitive and/or behavioral psychologists are more likely to advocate Internet use for single adults compared to psychologists with other clinical orientations. No statistical support was found for these hypotheses. For the purpose of this study, participants gathered through the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology completed a survey that investigated their beliefs of the clinical implications of Internet relationships. The results of the study showed that the majority of psychologists have discussed Internet relationships with their clients. The majority of psychologists agree that Internet personal ads are a suitable and safe modality to meet others. The majority of psychologists do not seem to either encourage or discourage their single clients in forming Internet relationships. In terms of lying in Internet personal ads, most of the psychologists believe there are no differences between men and women and lying in Internet personal ads. Implications of these findings, as well as strengths and weaknesses of this study are discussed.