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Relationship During the Pandemic

My role: UX Research, UX Operations

Duration: 9 Weeks

Research Type: Exploratory research

Methods: Mixed Methods(Public Survey, Remote Interview, Diary Study)

Project type: Team project (Team of 3)

Tools: Google form, Miro, Google G-Suite

Background and Goal

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted daily life across the globe, including the ways people connect, communicate, and form romantic relationships. In early 2020, the United States implemented shelter-at-home orders and social distancing guidelines to curb the spread of the virus. These public health measures drastically limited in-person interactions and altered the landscape of dating, leading to shifts in behavior, attitudes, and expectations around romantic connection.

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Although the most acute phase of the pandemic has passed, its influence continues to shape relationship norms today. This research explores how the pandemic transformed dating culture in the United States examining both the immediate impacts during lockdowns and the longer-term changes that have persisted in post-pandemic society.

Research Question

Primary Questions

  • How has the pandemic changed dating and romantic relationships?

 

Sub Questions

  • How have attitudes and behaviors toward dating changed during the pandemic?

  • How does the virtual setting affect two people in a dating relationship?

  • How has the pandemic affected the dating process, timeline, and pace?

  • How are communication and physical intimacy achieved and maintained?

 

Recruitment Proces

Remote Interview

We invited 8 participants who are seeking, currently dating, and in relationships during the pandemic and conducted 1 hour long interview.

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Public Survey

We sent out 19 questions and received 44 respondents through social media and personal connection within 4 weeks.

 
Diary Study

We had 5 participants. Beginning of the study, we sent out 1 onboarding questionnaire and 7 journal entries spanning 3 weeks.

Survey

We sent out a survey to capture the dating landscape during the pandemic. 77% of people said they were meeting in-person.

The survey distributed through Social media, Reddit, and personal connections.

 

Survey Question Topics

  • Current dating status

  • Demographic

  • Motivation for dating

  • Tools and Methods

  • Any change in attitude and behaviors toward dating

  • The most challenging aspect of dating during the pandemic

Interview

Conducted 1 hour long interviews with participants in different phases of dating process,

from newly committed, single and currently dating, broke up during the pandemic, to being in a relationship for years.

 

Questions we asked

  • How has the pandemic affected you plan for the future?

  • What advice would you give to someone who wants to know how they can be successful at dating during the pandemic?

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Feeling boards
At the end of interviews, we gave the participants a 5-minute “feeling board” interactive activity to gain insight

into their dating experience during the pandemic in a visual way.

Diary study

For the diary study, there were a total of 7 entries that were requested over a span of 3 weeks. Each diary entry had a different theme and could consist of any combination of text, audio, photos, and video. At the end of every entry, participants also answered the same 5-point likert scale prompt to capture a quantitative “pulse” of their experiences.

 

Diary Entries

  • Communication

  • Tools

  • Types

  • Interaction

  • Approaches

  • Reflection

Data Analysis

  • Conducted interview transcriptions and performed detailed analysis of each participant’s responses.

  • Applied descriptive coding techniques to interpret qualitative data.

  • Identified key themes and recurring patterns across interviews.

  • Utilized affinity diagramming to synthesize findings and draw final conclusions.

Findings

Communication

  • COVID-19 was a commonly used icebreaker topic, but also served as a filter before meeting in person.

  • Much of the communication in dating relationships were facilitated by online tools and applications.

  • In-person conversations were preferred for deeper, more serious, and nuanced topics.

  • There were increase in willingness and desire to engage more openly and vulnerably in conversations with partners and dating prospects.
     

Motivation

  • For some singles, loneliness from prolonged isolation motivate many to seek companionship through dating.

  • For others, “It just happened” when they weren’t actively looking.

  • Many in the survey selected the responses: “I’m happy with my life, but it could be better if I found the right person to share it with.” as their motivation for dating.
     

Interaction

  • The most challenging aspect was not being able to meet in-person as easily; physical safety was a major concern.

  • Dates are were more casual, especially for those in committed relationships. “I don’t even dress up for my dates anymore.”

  • Emotional support became a key aspect of sustaining relationships and coping with pandemic-include stressors.

  • "COVID pods” emerged as a new social convention.

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