Relational uncertainty and relationship satisfaction in a romantic relationship: self-disclosure as a moderator and a mediator

Abstract Research investigating social anxiety and the impacts on romantic relationships remains scarce. An online questionnaire examining romantic relationship status, social anxiety and depression symptomology, relationship satisfaction, and several relationship processes was completed by 444 adults. Individuals with higher social anxiety were less likely to be in romantic relationships. For the 188 adults in our sample in current relationships, relationship satisfaction was not influenced by social anxiety when controlling for depression. Although it was proposed that self-disclosure, social support, trust, and conflict initiation might influence romantic relationship satisfaction, none of these mechanisms interacted with social anxiety to explain additional variance in relationship satisfaction. These findings indicate that depression symptomology may be a treatment target for socially anxious individuals wishing to improve romantic relationship satisfaction.

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Communication as a Mediator Between Personal Characteristics – Five-Factor Personality Traits, Emotional Intelligence, Self-Disclosure – and Romantic Relationship Satisfaction

Journal of Interpersonal Relations, Intergroup Relations and Identity ◽

10.33921/gqkl9209 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 10 ◽

pp. 10-24

Author(s):

Sarah Mackay ◽

Kenneth Cramer

Keyword(s):

Emotional Intelligence ◽

Relationship Satisfaction ◽

Personality Traits ◽

Romantic Relationship ◽

Personal Characteristics ◽

Self Disclosure ◽

Pool System ◽

Communication Behaviours ◽

Romantic Relationship Satisfaction ◽

The Relationship

The present study explored the relation between personal characteristics and romantic relationship satisfaction as mediated by communication. Couples in established heterosexual romantic relationships of at least 3 months (N = 96 couples) were recruited from an undergraduate population at a university through a Psychology Participant Pool System. It’s been hypothesized that there would be a relation between predicting variables — four of five-factor personality traits, emotional intelligence and self-disclosure — and relationship satisfaction as mediated by communication behaviours. Results indicate that for both genders, conscientiousness is related to one’s own relationship satisfaction which is mediated by communication. For females only, communication mediated the relation between emotional intelligence and her relationship satisfaction. For males and females, self-disclosure is related to both one’s own and one’s partner’s relationship satisfaction which is mediated by communication. Collectively, these results suggest that personal characteristics are related to communication which influences the relationship satisfaction of both members of a couple.

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Preserving Romantic Relationship through Social Media

Asian Research Journal of Arts & Social Sciences ◽

10.9734/arjass/2020/v12i130181 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 22-29

Author(s):

Leandro C. Torreon

Keyword(s):

Romantic Relationships ◽

Relationship Satisfaction ◽

Social Networking Sites ◽

Romantic Relationship ◽

Self Disclosure ◽

Face To Face ◽

Negative State ◽

Correlational Research ◽

The University ◽

Descriptive Survey

Facebook is one of the most popular social networking sites (SNS) that recreates face-to-face interactions on the web by allowing people to interact publicly or privately. Many people use Facebook as a way to stay in contact while others use it to develop new connections. The objective of this study was to investigate how Facebook serves as medium in preserving romantic relationships of faculty members, staff and students of the university. The study used a descriptive-survey and correlational research designs to determine if there is a relationship between the variables. A questionnaire was utilized to determine respondents’ use of Facebook and status of romantic relationships in terms of partner surveillance, relationship satisfaction, self-disclosure and social intimacy. The results revealed that Facebook influence the preservation of romantic relationship as the study found a slight positive relationship between the partner surveillance and relationship satisfaction. The increase in partner surveillance will lead to an increase of relationship satisfaction; hence the absence of it can push a relationship into a negative state. However, other important factors like affectionate communications can lead to relationship satisfaction. Therefore, it was recommended that a strong communication/interaction between couples is needed in maintaining romantic relationship; there is a need of a school program to guide the students, faculty and staff in handling healthy relationship and affectionate communication shall be given value in maintaining romantic relationship.

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The mediating effect of self-disclosure between romantic relationship perfectionism and relationship satisfaction of college students

The Korean Journal of Woman Psychology ◽

10.18205/kpa.2019.23.4.004 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 23 (4) ◽

pp. 633-651

Author(s):

Na Young Kim ◽

김향숙

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Relationship Satisfaction ◽

Romantic Relationship ◽

Mediating Effect ◽

Self Disclosure

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Adolescent Romantic Relationship–Oriented Facebook Behaviors: Implications for Self-Esteem

Youth & Society ◽

10.1177/0044118x18760647 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 52 (4) ◽

pp. 661-683 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Michael R. Langlais ◽

Gwendolyn Seidman ◽

Kyla M. Bruxvoort

Keyword(s):

Romantic Relationships ◽

Relationship Satisfaction ◽

Romantic Relationship ◽

Online Survey ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Romantic Partners ◽

Relationship Development ◽

Regression Analyses ◽

Self Disclosure ◽

Public Displays

Despite the consistent, high use of Facebook among adolescents, few studies have examined how adolescents use Facebook when forming and maintaining romantic relationships. Based on the Internet-enhanced self-disclosure hypothesis, romantic relationship–oriented Facebook behaviors are likely to relate to adolescent self-esteem. The goal of this study is to examine romantic relationship–oriented Facebook behaviors (private exchanges, monitoring, public displays, and oversharing information) between adolescents and their romantic partners or crushes, and then test how these behaviors relate to self-esteem. Data come from an online survey of adolescents from the Midwestern United States who are current Facebook users. Results demonstrated that the most common romantic relationship–oriented Facebook behavior was monitoring. Regression analyses revealed that monitoring predicted lower adolescent self-esteem. Relationship satisfaction moderated the association between self-esteem and both private exchanges and oversharing information. Implications for adolescent romantic relationship development are discussed.

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Initiating, Maintaining, or Breaking Up?

Social Psychology ◽

10.1027/1864-9335/a000200 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 45 (5) ◽

pp. 408-420 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Michela Menegatti ◽

Monica Rubini

Keyword(s):

Romantic Relationships ◽

Romantic Relationship ◽

Self Disclosure ◽

Level Of Abstraction ◽

Problematic Relationship ◽

Abstract Language ◽

Language Abstraction

Two studies examined whether individuals vary the level of abstraction of messages composed to achieve the relational goals of initiating, maintaining, and ending a romantic relationships when the goal of communication was self-disclosure or persuading one’s partner. Study 1 showed that abstract language was preferred to disclose thoughts and feelings about initiating a romantic relationship or to persuade the partner to consolidate a long-term one. Study 2 revealed that participants used abstract terms to persuade the partner to continue a problematic relationship and to disclose their thoughts on ending it. These results show that language abstraction is a flexible means to handle individuals’ goals and influence the course of romantic relationships.

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