Relational quality and media use in interpersonal relationships

Author final draft doi:10.1177/1461444807080339This study examined the relationship between relational quality and media use in interpersonal relationships. In addition, the impacts of other potentially important variables such as sex and relationship type of participants and their partners were explored. College student participants focused on interaction experiences with an acquaintance, friend, romantic partner, or family member. Questions addressed the sex of relational partners, how much of participants’ total communication with relational partners is conducted in each of three media (i.e., face-to-face, phone, and internet), and the quality of relationships. Results indicated that participant sex and partner sex did not affect reported media use, whereas relationship type had significant effects on the extent to which face-to-face and telephone communication were used. Specifically, among the college students studied, face-to-face communication was used least with family members and the telephone was used most with family members. Relationships with acquaintances had the lowest relational quality and romantic relationships, while closer, were less satisfying than either family or friendship relationships. Same-sex relationships were perceived as more satisfying than cross-sex relationships. Finally, media use did not predict relational closeness or satisfaction. Results are discussed in light of previous research on mediated interpersonal communication and conceptualizations of the role of communication technology in one’s social life are highlighted

An Examination of the Tripartite Approach to Commitment: An Actor-Partner Interdependence Model Analysis of the Effect of Relational Maintenance Behavior

A consistently reported finding is that indicators of relationship quality reflect a strong association with relational maintenance behaviors (Stafford, 2002). The present study conceptualized one such indicator, commitment, as a multidimensional, tripartite phenomenon (Johnson, 1991, 1999) to examine its persistent association with maintenance behaviors over two time periods. Using an Actor-Partner Interdependence Model Analysis (APIM; Kashy & Kenny, 2000), the overall results revealed that actors\u27 and partners\u27 experience of personal commitment at time 2 was significantly associated with maintenance strategy use reported at time 1. Whereas the analysis of moral commitment showed a similar pattern of actor effects, the partner effects suggest spouses\u27 experience of moral commitment may be more strongly connected to their partners\u27 use of maintenance behavior than that of personal commitment. However, analysis of actors\u27 and partners\u27 experience of structural commitment revealed few significant associations with relational maintenance. Implications for the tripartite approach and relationship maintenance are discussed

Impact of Role Discrepancies on Caregiver Burden among Spouses

Using caregiver identity theory, the authors investigated whether role discrepancies mediated the relationships between illness-related stressors (activities of daily living [ADLs] limitations and problem behaviors) and burden (stress, relationship, and objective burden) for spouse caregivers. Participants completed measures of identity standards for spouse and caregiver roles and behaviors, burden, assistance with ADLs, and problem behaviors. Structural equation modeling analyses revealed that role discrepancies completely mediated the relationships between ADLs and stress and relationship burden. Although role discrepancies mediated the relationships between problem behaviors and all forms of burden, there were direct relationships between problem behaviors and burden. Finally, participants who exceeded their relationship identity standards experienced greater burden. Supporting caregiver identity theory, the results suggest that ADL assistance is burdensome for caregivers when it highlights inconsistencies between their behaviors and their relationship expectations. However, unpredictable stressors such as problem behaviors are both inherently burdensome and highlight role discrepancies