College of Arts & Sciences

Date of Award

8-2012

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Psychology

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if the amount of time spent using three types of communication (electronic, voice, and face-to-face) had an effect on the perceived quality of a romantic relationship. Seventy-eight heterosexual females who self-identified as being in a romantic relationship completed a set of demographic questions, the Perceived Relationship Quality Components Inventory (Fletcher, Simpson, & Thomas, 2000), as well as questions pertaining to the average amount of time spent per day using each of the communication methods. It was hypothesized that the more time spent communicating face-to- face would have a positive effect on the perceived quality of the romantic relationship; this hypothesis was supported. A highly significant relationship was found for this part of the hypothesis. The more time reported communicating face-to-face had a significant effect on the relationship quality reported; i.e. more face-to-face communication meant higher reported satisfaction with the relationship. On the other hand, it was also hypothesized the more time spent using electronic communication would have a negative effect on the quality of the romantic relationship, but this was not supported. Electronic communication had no significant effect on relationship quality, meaning the amount of electronic communication had no bearing on the satisfaction with the relationship.

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