Sorry, You're Just Not My Type: Exploring Romantic Rejection in Computer-mediated Communication

Although online dating has increased in popularity, little is known about how online daters respond to date requests, or how they handle the delivery of romantic rejection. This research was designed to identify the types of linguistic strategies employed in romantic date rejection. One hundred and ninety respondents were asked to compose a message rejecting a romantic date request initiated by a member of the opposite sex. Results showed that use of politeness strategies varied as a function of the relationship between the requester and rejector (acquaintance vs. stranger) and the type of media used (email vs. online dating messaging service). Additionally, it was found that online daters take advantage of certain features provided by dating website messaging services which allow new ways for rejectors to deliver refusals that were not previously available in FtF communication or prior types of CMC.