The Impact of Internet Technologies on Primary and Secondary Romantic Relationship Development

This study examined the impact that changes in Internet-based technologies have on romantic relationships developed exclusively online. Thirty-six participants completed the 44-item Online Relationships Questionnaire. Participants were then divided into three categories based on self-reported media preference: asynchronous text, synchronous text, and rich media. No significant differences existed on measures of relational confidence or intimacy based solely on media selection. Participants utilizing the Internet to maintain a secondary romantic relationship reported higher levels of relational certainty and greater expectations of future interaction with their online partner than participants involved exclusively in online relationships (i.e., the online relationship was the participant's only romantic relationship).     

Measuring Online Communication Attitude: Instrument Development and Validation

This paper reports a series of studies that develop an empirically-derived instrument for assessing online communication attitude, a multidimensional set of individual cognitive-affective constructs that influence media choice. The first study inductively develops an initial item pool and tests dimensional structure via exploratory factor analysis. The second study further refines this structure and also tests the association between online communication attitude and media use in same-sex friendships. Finally, the third study deductively tests global model fit via confirmatory factor analysis, and establishes concurrent validity with theoretically related communication constructs. Beyond identifying motives underlying media choice, the instrument developed here possesses heuristic potential for clarifying media choice theory and elaborating the association between communication competence and media choice.     

Seeking Mrs. Right: Uncertainty Reduction in Online Surrogacy Ads

Surrogate mothers use online advertisements to reduce the uncertainty associated with the surrogacy journey. This paper identifies five key desirability traits used by surrogates in online advertisements. These perceived desirability traits include idealism, logistics, moral boundaries, willingness parameters, and personal disclosure. Our findings suggest surrogates construct communication messages using these perceived desirability traits to reduce uncertainty and encourage matching.     

Maintaining Relationship Alternatives Electronically: Positive Relationship Maintenance in Back Burner Relationships

Back burners are desired prospective romantic/sexual partners that people communicate with to establish a future romantic or sexual relationship. We surveyed 658 college students about the extent to which they reported using various positive relationship maintenance strategies (positivity, openness, assurances) during communication with their most important back burner. Consistent with previous research, singles did not differ from those in committed romances in the number of back burners reported; however, singles and casual daters utilized the positive maintenance strategies to a greater extent than did those in committed relationships. Men reported using more assurances than did women, but the sexes did not differ on the other strategies utilized. Implications and limitations are discussed.     

Money as Relational Struggle: Communicatively Negotiating Cultural Discourses in Romantic Relationships

Using the lens of Relational Dialectics Theory, this study sought to uncover how competing U.S. cultural financial discourses are negotiated in people’s everyday conversations with their romantic partner. The investigation uncovered that in multiple and varied ways, participants understood money to be a major source of tension in their romantic relationships. One overarching discursive struggle animated participants’ financial talk with their partners: “money is everything” versus “money isn’t everything.” Within this struggle, participants communicatively negotiated the cultural value of money in an attempt to marginalize its power and potential negative influences on relational and economic well-being. Although money is critical in helping people meet their basic needs, this study suggests that deemphasizing the importance of money as all-consuming and omnipotent has the potential to alter couples’ financial and relational well-being.     

Couples' Online Cognitions during Conflict: Links between What Partners Think and their Relational Satisfaction

The current study was conducted to investigate the thoughts romantic partners had as they discussed a topic of conflict in their relationship. A modified version of protocol analysis was employed to access couples' cognitions. Specifically, partners voiced their thoughts aloud as they engaged in a computer-mediated interaction. The findings yielded associations between individuals' cognitions and their relational satisfaction as well as differences between the cognitions of men and women. Individuals' vocalized thoughts also were associated with their partner's satisfaction. The results provide an interesting portrayal of various associations between the way partners feel about their relationship and the unspoken thoughts they have during the course of interaction. Possible theoretical and methodological implications for the literature on couples' cognitions and relational satisfaction are discussed.     

An Examination of How People in Romantic Relationships Use Communication to Manage Financial Uncertainty

Money is critical for financial and relational well-being, yet financial communication is often considered taboo, and most Americans receive little financial guidance. Not surprisingly, romantic couples experience financial uncertainty, which has been negatively correlated with satisfaction and trust. Through in-depth, semi-structured interviews of 40 individuals in married or cohabitating relationships and the lens of Uncertainty Management Theory (UMT), this investigation examines how people are (un)able to manage financial uncertainty. The study uncovers tangible ways individuals can negotiate financial uncertainty via uncertainty reduction, maintenance, and adaption, as well as information, communication, time-management, and/or sociocultural barriers that can impede uncertainty management. The investigation suggests the extension of UMT to consider the role of the dyad and offers practical implications for financial literacy and communication efforts.     

Relational Maintenance and the Influence of Commitment in Online and Offline Relationships

The study of relational-maintenance behaviors has sometimes included the impact of medium as a peripheral variable, but rarely has the impact of medium been tested directly. Participants (N = 1336) delineated themselves into four separate groups depending on the initial and continued use of mediated communication. They reported their use of relational-maintenance behaviors, as well as feelings of commitment towards the relationship. The medium had an impact on the use of relational-maintenance behaviors, primarily between people who had only met their partners in a mediated environment and those who had met them face-to-face. However, commitment level appears to strongly moderate the relationship between group and use of maintenance behaviors.     

Detecting Deceptive Communication Through Computer-Mediated Technology: Applying Interpersonal Deception Theory to Texting Behavior

Interpersonal Deception Theory (IDT) argues that deception is an interpersonal action where people employ communication tactics to achieve various goals. Deception is a global concept; thus, much investigation has been conducted to determine the roots of such deceptive behavior. Through IDT, deception is categorized as a dynamic process where both the sender and receiver need to be engaged for deception to be successful. In extension of IDT, a study was conducted to determine the degree to which undergraduate students engage in deceptive behavior via text messaging. Through a survey design, undergraduate students' deceptive texting behaviors and deceptive detection traits were assessed. Results indicate that among undergraduate students, text messaging is an interpersonal form of communication that circumvents professionalism and power. Further, undergraduate students were much more likely to engage in deceptive texting with family and friends, but did so with significantly less frequency in the organizational setting.     

Patterns of Social Support Communicated in Response to Expressions of Uncertainty in an Online Community of Young Adults with Cancer

In order to develop more effective ways of helping adolescents and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors cope with cancer-related uncertainty, it is important to understand how AYAs respond communicatively to each other's uncertainty. We designed this project to gain insight into the patterns of social support that occur in response to AYAs' expressions of uncertainty. We analyzed 510 responses to posts in an AYA-focused online discussion group. Eighty-two percent of messages responding to uncertainty contained informational support. Sixty-seven percent contained multiple types of support. Among medical, personal, and social sources of uncertainty, the most typical response tended to be a combination of informational support accompanied by emotional and/or esteem support. AYAs who express uncertainty in online support groups should be advised that their posts are likely to be met with information, such as advice and referrals, which may either facilitate or impede their uncertainty management goals.     

网络环境中的人际信任研究

互联网影响着社会生活的诸多方面,由于网络道德规范和法律机制的不健全,网络虚拟性和匿名性的特征容易产生人际信任危机,影响网络中的社会活动。本文通过文献分析,对网络人际信任研究涉及的领域、研究方法、主要成果等进行了梳理和分析,并对研究中存在的一些问题进行了探讨,最后针对研究现状提出未来研究的一些启示。     

The Impact of Viewer Perceptions of Media Personae and Viewer Characteristics on the Strength,Enjoyment, and Satisfaction of Parasocial Relationships

Using a cross-sectional survey design (N = 338), we measured the impact of viewer perceptions of media personae and viewer characteristics on the strength, enjoyment, and satisfaction of parasocial relationships. Strength, enjoyment, and satisfaction of parasocial relationships were strongest with characters that viewers like that are perceived to be similar to the viewer or someone they know in real life. However, the strength and enjoyment of parasocial relationships decreased when the persona was perceived to be similar to either the viewer or someone they know in real life and the viewer was high on attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, or loneliness. Limitations and implications are discussed.     

When Online Meets Offline: The Effect of Modality Switching on Relational Communication

Collaborative partnerships developed via text-based computer-mediated communication (CMC) commonly shift interactions to alternative formats. Extant research indicates that shifting from one modality to another, or “modality switching,” can have profound positive and negative effects on relational outcomes. Drawing on social presence theory (Short, Williams, & Christie, 1976 Short, J., Williams, E. and Christie, B. 1976. The social psychology of telecommunications, London: Wiley.  [Google Scholar]) and social information processing theory (SIPT; Walther, 1992 Walther, J. B. 1992. Interpersonal effects in computer-mediated interaction: A relational perspective. Communication Research, 19: 52–89. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], 1996 Walther, J. B. 1996. Computer-mediated communication: Impersonal, interpersonal, and hyperpersonal interaction. Communication Research, 23: 3–43. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), the present study examined the influence of meeting FtF after varying lengths of time interacting via CMC on relational communication. Consistent with predictions, remaining online yielded greater intimacy and social attraction than the other conditions in which FtF contact occurred. With respect to the CMC conditions, modality switching modestly enhanced relational outcomes in the “early” switching partnerships but more strongly dampened those of “late” switching ones.     

图书馆员沟通满意感的测量与分析

基于问卷调查,从5个维度测量图书馆员的沟通满意感,即对组织整体沟通氛围的看法、沟通开放性、相关工作信息的获取、直接主管的沟通意识及态度与主动性、同事之间的沟通关系等。在此基础上,从性别、入馆年限、职称、职位、教育背景方面,对不同馆员群体的沟通满意感及其相关因素进行考察,以发现其规律和特点。     

Putative Secrets and Conflict in Romantic Relationships over Time

When people discover their romantic partner is keeping a secret from them but allow their partner to believe the secret is still unknown (creating what Caughlin, Scott, Miller, and Hefner referred to as a putative secret), this can have negative implications for their relationship. This study examined how putative secrets influence conflict in romantic relationships over time and whether certain factors (including perceived reasons for the secrecy, use of deception, and relationship satisfaction) moderate this association. The sample consisted of 305 dating individuals. Participants reported on a current putative secret, a putative secret kept in the past, or no secret, and then completed 3-week online diary entries tracking their conflict. The results revealed that individuals who were currently managing a putative secret had higher levels of conflict and more changes in conflict in their relationship over time than individuals who experienced a putative secret in the past or no putative secrets at all. Although individuals' attributions for their partner's secret keeping were important, they often depended on relationship satisfaction and currency of the putative secret. Relationship satisfaction significantly moderated the association between putative secrets and conflict, such that individuals who reported current putative secrets and were more dissatisfied reported the most intense conflict and the greatest changes in conflict over time.     

Listening and Experiences of Interpersonal Transcendence

Interpersonal transcendence is a phenomenon marked by total immersion in an interaction, a deep sense of understanding, feelings of mutuality, new insight, and playfulness. Such experiences can be exhilarating, memorable, and rare. This study examines relationships between various listening dispositions and people’s propensity to experience interpersonal transcendence. Participants (N = 300) completed the Interpersonal Transcendence Scale (ITS) along with the Listening Styles Inventory (LSI), the Active Empathic Listening scale (AEL), and the Listening Styles Profile–Revised (LSP-R). Results indicated substantial relationships between ITS responses and the LSI and AEL. The LSP-R dimensions of Relational Listening and Analytical Listening were also related to ITS responses. Other results indicate that propensity to experience interpersonal transcendence is associated with minority group status and age.     

Communicating Forgiveness in Friendships and Dating Relationships

This study examines the postcrisis experience of Odwalla, an organic juice and natural products company, following a 1996 E. coli outbreak. Specifically, the four consistent characteristics of renewal were observed in Odwalla's extended recovery process. These characteristics include: provisional as opposed to strategic, prospective rather than retrospective, capitalizing on the opportunities embedded in the crisis, and renewal as a leader-based communication form. The study identified Odwalla's initial success and the complexity-fraught extended recovery period that followed. Odwalla overcame these complexities with a consistent focus on renewal and an emphasis on the characteristics appropriate to meeting the extended recovery process' shifting demands.     

Exploring the Relationship Between Computer-Mediated Communication,Sexual Identity Commitment,and Well-Being Among Lesbian,Gay, and Bisexual Adolescents

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adolescents are avid users of computer-mediated communication (CMC), but few empirical studies have investigated the function of CMC in the lives of LGB youth. Grounded in the media practice model, the present study explored the relationships among CMC, sexual identity commitment, and well-being by surveying LGB adolescents (N = 570). Results indicated that a positive relationship existed between time spent on social network sites and well-being that was mediated by sexual identity commitment. Time spent instant messaging, sending/receiving e-mail, or in chat rooms was not related to sexual identity commitment or well-being. Social network sites may aid LGB youth in understanding their sexual identities in ways that other CMC modalities cannot.     

Attachment and Relational Satisfaction: The Mediating Effect of Emotional Communication

This study investigated associations among one partner's relational satisfaction and the other partner's style of attachment and emotional communication. Findings from a questionnaire study involving 581 couples showed that participants reported more relational satisfaction when their partners scored high in security and low in dismissiveness and preoccupation. These associations between one's relational satisfaction and the partner's attachment style were partially mediated by how the partner reported communicating emotions. Specifically, participants were less satisfied in relationships with preoccupied partners who reported expressing anger using destructive communication. Participants were less satisfied with dismissive partners who reported using detached emotional communication. Finally, participants were more satisfied with secure partners who reported using prosocial emotional communication. These findings suggest that the often-cited relationship between attachment and relational satisfaction is partially explained by emotional communication.     

Predicting maintenance enactment from relational schemata,spousal behavior,and relational characteristics

Thus far, researchers have made significant strides in identifying maintenance behaviors and articulating the impact of maintenance behaviors on salient relational characteristics. This study seeks to identify those variables which best predict the enactment of particular maintenance strategies among married individuals. Data were collected from 520 married individuals. Fitzpatrick's (1988) relational schemata, perception of spouse's use of maintenance behaviors, and one's own satisfaction and commitment served as the independent variables. Stafford, Dainton, and Haas' (2000) typology of maintenance behaviors served as the dependent variables. Results indicate that the most potent predictor of an individual's enactment of a selected maintenance behavior is his or her perception of the spouse's use of that same behavior. The variance explained ranged from a low of .04 to a high of .49.