Dating & Relationship Simulations

[Dave Vronay]

Here is a forum to discuss different ideas relating to dating and relationships in China. We already had several ideas here -let's get them posted and start discussing!

[Dave Vronay]

Dating Role-play simulation
This was the idea from the PowerPoint file that I sent to Wang Li.

Problem statement
Dating in modern society is different from our parents generation. Young adults have no good role models for effective dating strategies. Increasing numbers of people are moving to large population centers and the resulting high-paced lifestyles decrease the amount of time for spending on dating. This all results in an ever-increasing age of marriage and increasing divorce rate.

Proposed Solution
We create in second life a social simulation of young adult dating. The player will "adopt" a virtual character (like a Sim) and guide it through increasingly complicating dating situations. Their performance will then be judged and they will be givne feedback.

Target Users
Young single adults (male and female) with computer experience.

Approach
1) Interview existing user base to determine problems and expectations
2) Consult with social psychologists as well as experienced successful couples to create a collection of role-play situations
3) Implement paper prototype and user test
4) Move learnings into second life
5) Pilot program with potential users

Possible Outcomes
Increased self-confidence in dating
long-term results could be more satisfaction with relationships

Relevance
Directly related to education and computing. The use of simulation allows users to experiment with different social strategies in a safe way that would be impossible in real-life.