Qualitative Research on

Bumble: Exploring Technical Attributes and How Women Perceive Empowerment within the Dating App Environment

OVERVIEW

MY ROLE

UX Research

This qualitative research project delves into the intersection of technology, culture, and gender dynamics by focusing on Bumble, a mobile dating app with a distinctive feature where women initiate conversations.

With the backdrop of Indian society's diverse cultural landscape and ongoing gender equality challenges, this study aims to shed light on how Bumble's technological attributes resonate with Indian female users, influencing their perspectives on empowerment, dating, and relationships.

What is already known

  • Effort to reduce spam and harassment

  • Feeling of forced empowerment

  • Control to choose but no control over resulting conversation

  • Paradox of forced empowerment

Research Purpose

Our purpose is to understand Indian female users' experiences with respect to the Bumble dating app in terms of female empowerment. We want to evaluate how ethnicity intersects with Bumble's technological design aspects, affordances and empowerment.

Detailed Research Question 1:

Research Methods

Method 1 - Semi Structured Interviews

5 participants

Interview Duration: 20-30 minutes

Tool: Webex

Through one-on-one interviews with Indian female Bumble users, we delved into participants' experiences, allowing them to share personal stories and perspectives.

We asked questions about their interactions on the app, their perceived roles, and how Bumble's features influence their empowerment.

Participant Recruitment

  • For interview participants, we reached out to friends, classmates and colleagues, online via social media (Whatsapp and Instagram) and in person on campus

  • For the survey, we reached out to friends, family and acquaintances through social media (WhatsApp and Instagram).

  • We sent out the survey as a link to our Google Form via Instagram and LinkedIn

Key Findings

Key Finding 1

Insight: Bumble's unique approach empowers Indian women by allowing them to initiate conversations and express interest, challenging traditional gender dynamics in Indian society. This appeals to Indian female users seeking to break free from cultural norms and find empowerment in their dating experiences.

Impact: Bumble aligns with changing perceptions of women's empowerment, especially among Indian females in the United States. It enables them to assert themselves, make choices, and engage in relationships on their own terms, promoting independence and comfort in the dating realm.

Understanding how Bumble's technological features connect with Indian female users' beliefs about female empowerment might shed light on numerous issues:

  • User Experience: Analyzing how Bumble's distinctive features, like women initiating conversations, impact Indian female users' dating experiences and perspectives.

  • Empowerment Paradigms: Assessing the alignment of Bumble's technological features with the empowerment perspectives of Indian women to gauge its impact on established empowerment beliefs and expectations.

  • Societal Impact: Bumble's impact on Indian female users can reveal broader implications for women's empowerment, including its effects on gender dynamics, relationships, and societal attitudes.

Knowledge Gap

Although there has been research done with white female users and their experiences with the Bumble app in terms of female empowerment, we do not know how these experiences of using the app and views on female empowerment translate into different/other communities of women users.

Central Research Question

How do the technical attributes of mobile dating app Bumble reflect Indian female users' preconceptions with respect to women empowerment?

How do Indian female users of Bumble perceive gender norms while using the app?

DURATION

PROJECT TYPE

15 weeks

Motivation for Research

Academic Group Project

Team Members: Devika Vaidya

What are the Indian female users’ current pain points and needs with respect to Bumble’s technical design attributes?

Detailed Research Question 2:

Method 2 - Qualitative Survey

12 survey responses

Tool: Google Forms

Surveys were distributed to a larger sample of users to gather data on their experiences and preferences related to Bumble's technical design attributes, usability, user interface, safety features, and other aspects of the app.

Demographics

  • Ethnicity: Indian females

  • 3 were born and raised in India, currently in the US to pursue their education. 2 out of the 3 are Graduate students and 1 of them is an undergraduate student

  • 1 of the participants was born in the US but raised in India and is currently in the US for her undergraduate degree

  • The other participant is Indian but born and raised in the US her whole life, currently working.

  • Age group: 18-27

  • Criteria: Over 18, Used Bumble in the past or currently using the dating app

Data Analysis

  • Our analysis process involved reviewing data from both semi-structured interviews and a qualitative survey.

  • We used a collaborative approach for interviews where one person would conduct the interview and other would take notes. I conducted 3 interviews and my teammate conducted 2.

  • Coding was done using the Taguette software with a bottom-up methodology. We coding the first interview transcript collaboratively and then coded two each, individually.

  • We collaborated on the survey analysis. We integrated codes from interviews into the survey data to identify possible themes and connections.

  • We worked collaboratively on the data analysis for the survey. We followed a bottom-up approach for this as well.

  • We integrated codes from interviews into the survey data to identify possible similarities or differences in themes and other connections.

Mitigating Bias in Data Analysis

  • Bias Awareness: We acknowledged personal biases related to dating apps and reminded each other to set them aside.

  • Bottom-Up Coding: Our coding approach was data-driven, avoiding preconceived ideas.

  • External Feedback: We sought input from peers to identify and correct biases.

  • Ongoing Collaboration: Regular discussions with our partner ensured unbiased interpretation of codes.

  • Reflexivity: We practiced self-reflection to prevent personal biases from affecting our findings.

"I thought that I had the power over the situation. I was the more dominant one. I got to start the conversation and see where this goes for me."

Participant 1

Key Finding 2

Insight: While Bumble promotes female empowerment through women initiating conversations, not all users find this appealing. Some perceive it as coerced empowerment, feeling obligated or pressured to take an active role regardless of their preferences or comfort levels.

Factors at Play: This feeling of forced empowerment may be influenced by cultural backgrounds and gender stereotypes, particularly in Indian culture where men traditionally initiate romantic pursuits. Additionally, Bumble's design, emphasizing women's first moves, can create implicit expectations and pressure that some users find confining. They desire a more spontaneous and equal approach to starting conversations.

"Feels forced. It needs to be an option rather than a rule."

Survey Respondent 3

Key Finding 3

Insight: Racism is a significant concern in the experiences of Indian women using dating apps like Bumble in the United States. While the app itself doesn't endorse racism, its user base and interactions can expose users to racial bias and discrimination.

Context: Racism on dating apps mirrors broader social challenges and biases, highlighting that these platforms both facilitate connections and reflect existing societal prejudices and preconceptions.

Additional Insights

  • Desire for Enhanced Safety & Privacy Features: Users expressed a need for additional safety and privacy features. They suggested features such as verifying the marital status of users during sign-up and implementing a notification system for screenshots taken within the app.

  • Improvement in Question Prompts: Users found the question prompts valuable but suggested that they could be more diverse and detailed. Enhancing this feature would provide a richer and more engaging user experience.

  • Concerns About the 24-Hour Time Limit: Some users expressed discomfort with the 24-hour time limit for replies. They mentioned instances where they forgot to open the app for a day, resulting in matches disappearing before they had the chance to respond.

Next Steps

"…people usually don't think that I'm a woman of color for some reason. So, when they're talking to me on, like the app, they are pretty okay, but when we meet in person, and they get to know that. Okay. I am a person of color, or I'm from India. I am not the typical white girl. Some people don't even reply back to me."

Participant 4

Limitations

  • Small Sample Size: The study's limited sample of only 5 participants in interviews may restrict the generalizability of findings and lead to preliminary results.

  • Saturation of Themes: Due to the small sample, thematic saturation may have been reached prematurely, potentially affecting the depth of the findings.

  • Geographic Specificity: Focusing on Indian female users in the U.S. may limit the transferability of conclusions to other contexts, such as Indian users in India or non-white users from diverse cultures.

  • Age Group Homogeneity: Predominantly involving ISU students could limit the applicability of findings to broader age groups.

  • Self-Selection Bias: Participants' voluntary involvement may introduce self-selection bias into the study's results.

  • Influence of Prior Knowledge: The researchers' existing knowledge of dating apps might have impacted the study's objectivity.

  • Resource Constraints: Time and resource limitations could have hindered the study from achieving a more comprehensive and diverse sample.

  1. Expand Sample Size and Diversity: Conduct the study with a larger and more diverse sample, including women from different parts of the world, varying age groups, and diverse ethnic backgrounds. This will provide a more comprehensive understanding of the topic.

  2. Longitudinal Study: Consider conducting a longitudinal study to track participants' experiences with the app over an extended period. This can offer deeper insights into how users' perceptions and interactions evolve over time.

  3. Implement Design Recommendations: Collaborate with app developers to implement the design recommendations identified in the study. This can enhance the user experience and potentially address some of the issues raised by participants.

  4. Incorporate User Feedback: Continuously seek feedback from users to refine the app's features and user interface. This iterative process can lead to ongoing improvements that align with users' evolving needs and preferences.

  5. Compare Cross-Cultural Experiences: Compare the experiences of Indian female users in different cultural contexts, such as India, the United States, and other regions. This comparative analysis can reveal unique cultural influences on user experiences.

  6. Qualitative Follow-Ups: Conduct follow-up interviews or surveys with the same participants to assess any changes in their experiences or perceptions over time, providing valuable insights into the long-term impact of using the app.

  7. Ethical Considerations: Pay careful attention to ethical considerations, such as user privacy and informed consent, in any future research endeavors.