The research reported in this thesis integrates McCabe's (1984) theory of adolescent dating and Cook's (1981) social skills model of date initiation to suggest a more comprehensive account of the factors which influence dating success in Australian youth. The research comprised a pilot study and two separate but interrelated studies. The
purpose of the pilot study was to discuss the feasibility of the study and trial a questionnaire with a small group of senior high school students (n = 23), testing various scales and subscales, for readability, validity and reliability. The pilot study paved the way for the use of both qualitative and quantitative approaches to the study
of the factors which influences dating success.