“I luv u :)!”: A Descriptive Study of the Media Use of Individuals in Romantic Relationships

Keywords

communication, media, romantic relationships, text messaging

Abstract

In this study, we address the communication technologies individuals within romantic relationships are using to communicate with one another, the frequency of use, and the association between the use of these technologies and couple's positive and negative communication. Participants consisted of individuals involved in a serious, committed, heterosexual relationship. The Relationship Evaluation Questionnaire instrument was used to assess a variety of relationship variables. The majority of individuals within the study frequently used cell phones and text messaging to communicate with their partner, with “expressing affection” being the most common reason for contact. Younger individuals reported using all forms of media (except for e‐mail) more frequently than older participants. Relationship satisfaction did not predict specific use of media but predicted several reasons for media use. Additional analyses revealed that text messaging had the strongest association with individuals' positive and negative communication within their relationships. Specifically, text messaging to express affection, broach potentially confrontational subjects, and to hurt partners were associated with individuals' view of positive and negative communication within their relationship. Implications of the results are discussed.

Original Publication Citation

Coyne, S. M., *Stockdale, L., Busby, D., *Iverson, B., & *Grant, D. M. (2011). “I Luv U :)”: A descriptive study on media use in individuals in romantic relationships. Family Relations, 60, 150-162.

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2011-03-09

Permanent URL

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/5228

Publisher

Family Relations

Language

English

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Family Life

University Standing at Time of Publication

Full Professor

Link to Full Text

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