Running Head: Social Networking Sites & Their Impact On Relational Intimacy

Kelley Berman
Social Networking Sites & Their Impact On Relational Intimacy
July 12, 2015
SCOM280: Introduction to Research Methods
James Madison University

Social Networking Sites & Their Impact On Relational Intimacy

Abstract
This study intends to examine the effects of social media in romantic relationships as it
relates to relational intimacy and satisfaction. The development and growing popularity of the
usage of social networking websites, especially amongst adolescents and young adults, prompts
the question of whether or not involvement in social media impacts the degree of intimacy
between two people in a romantic relationship. After preliminary research of the following
variables: Social Networking Sites (Craig & Wright, 2012), Computer-Mediated
Communication, Face-to-Face Communication/Interaction, the idea that romantic relationships
are affected by social media usage can be applied to and studied through the Social Penetration
Theory, which describes the nature of relationships in a multitude of settings (Griffin, Ledbetter,
& Sparks, 2015), as well as the Uncertainty Reduction Theory, where individuals use
information seeking strategies to reduce uncertainties about a target individual and predict
his/her attitudes and behaviors in initial encounters (Griffin, 2015). Both theories are grounded
in the field of communications and highlight probable explanations to relationship tendencies.
Then, these findings will be used to conduct an online survey to willing participants
regarding the variables previously listed in question and rating format. The quantitative study
will consist of a convenience and snowball sampling, reaching out to college students at a given
university who will be eligible to participate in the survey based on their alignment with the
participant requirements set by the researcher later discussed.

Social Networking Sites & Their Impact On Relational Intimacy

Introduction
Social Networking Sites (SNS) have developed in recent years and grown in popularity
as a result of SNS becoming more user-friendly, accessible, and socially accepted in the adult
community (Craig, 2007). What used to be an exclusive network for technologically savvy
college students has slowly transitioned into a more diverse population of users such as
employers, parents, grandparents, and even professors. The rapid increase of participation in
SNS has been highlighted primarily by the growing population of users on the SNS Facebook,
which allows users to not only maintain relationships with previously established connections
but initiate the development of new relationships with people that appear to have common
interests (Scott, 2014).
Social Media users have played an integral role in the development of a newer method of
communication, Computer-Mediated Communication, or CMC (Craig & Wright, 2012). CMC
and SNS go hand-in-hand when it comes to researching social media and romantic relationships.
The combination of both in contrast with face-to-face (FTF) communication will allow
researchers to properly test their hypotheses of these variables relationship to relational intimacy
and satisfaction. Intimacy refers to the degree at which a relationship has developed both
physically and emotionally (Live Well, 2015).
The connection between Social Media usage and overall relational satisfaction and
intimacy will be discovered through the theories discussed in this study and measured through
the survey results. According to Scott, Facebook is playing an increasingly important role in
real-world affairs (2014). The amount of attention that the topic of Social Media attracts
amongst researchers has allowed for many studies to be developed.

Social Networking Sites & Their Impact On Relational Intimacy

This paper will discuss the following variables of the experiment: Social Networking
Sites (Craig & Wright, 2012), Computer-Mediated Communication, Face-to-Face
Communication/Interaction, and then apply both the Social Penetration and Uncertainty
Reduction theories (Griffin, 2015) to the variables in order to identify whether or not they impact
the relational intimacy and satisfaction in a romantic relationship. Then, these findings will be
used to conduct an online survey to willing participants regarding the variables previously listed
in question and rating format. The quantitative study will consist of a convenience and snowball
sampling, reaching out to college students at a given university who will be eligible to participate
in the survey based on their alignment with the participant requirements set by the researcher
later discussed.

Literature Review
Social Networking Sites & Computer-Mediated Communication
Social Networking Sites (SNS) can be defined as Internet services with the ability for a
user to: 1) create a public or semi-public profile; 2) identify and connect with other users; and 3)
trace these first-degree connections to identify members farther out in the collective network
(Boyd and Ellison, 2008). SNS such as Facebook, a social utility that connects people with
friends and other who work, study, and live around them (Fife, Nelson, & Bayles 2009), have
grown in popularity over the past decade and are predicted to continue increasing in popularity
(Craig & Wright, 2012). The Facebook user population has grown from an small amount of Ivy
League college students to over 800 million users across varying demographics, deeming itself
as the most widely used SNS in the world (Scott, 2014). Over 70% of adult Internet users and

Social Networking Sites & Their Impact On Relational Intimacy

58% of the entire adult population currently use Facebook for social, professional, educational,
and/or romantic reasons (Pew Research Center, 2015).
SNS have provided users with a plethora of public or semi-private profiles to search and
explore within a click of a button. Profiles facilitate forming new connections, friendships, and
relationships based on discovered mutual interests as well as provide users the opportunity to
maintain preexisting relationships formed through face-to-face (FTF) interactions. User profiles
contain valuable information such as status updates, photos, group memberships, mutual friends,
religious/political views, and most importantly: relationship status (ICA A, 2012). According to
the International Communication Association, profiles map aspects of a persons identity and
social history for the networks consumption (2012), and the identity presented in someones
profile allows others to assess whether or not they could be compatible with the user as a
potential friend or love interest. Opinions of someone are formed with just a glance at their
profile or status update, so many knowingly put their best foot forward when posting a status,
comment, or when updating their profile to impress others instead of being their genuinely
flawed self.
The study of Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) emerged from the rapid growth
of SNS and their user populations. CMC stemmed from previous FTF Communication
assumptions and tendencies and provided scholars a modern method of communication primarily
practiced via technology and social media usage. Communication between two individuals was
no longer limited to conversations in person but consisted of sending messages back and forth or
carrying conversations electronically (Fleuriet, Estrada, & Houser, 2009). According to Sheldon,
Facebook provides enhanced and cue rich Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC)
environments (2009). Although this may be true for initial interactions and newly developed

Social Networking Sites & Their Impact On Relational Intimacy

relationships via SNS, critics argue CMC often hinders the ability to detect and accurately
interpret social cues (Pauley & Emmers-Sommer, 2007).
Relational Intimacy
Intimacy refers to how personal a relationship between two people has developed (Living
Well, 2015). According to the University of Floridas Counseling & Wellness Center, intimacy
is process not a thing (UF CWC, 2015). Intimacy takes time and comes in many forms, not
just sexual (UF CWC, 2015). Cognitive intimacy consists of the sharing of information and
ideas between two people, while experiential intimacy develops through joint participation in
activities outside of the conversational realm (UF CWC, 2015). Sexual intimacy includes but is
not limited to sexual intercourse, and emotional intimacy develops when two people share a level
of comfort expressing their feelings and providing empathy and support for the others emotional
needs (UF CWC, 2015). All types of intimacy hold importance in developing and maintaining a
romantic relationship, but this study will focus primarily on emotional intimacy and how its
affected by SNS usage.
Intimacy involves emotional closeness to a partner, which is achieved through mutual
self-disclosure, honesty and trust, acceptance, and unwavering support for one another
(Relationships Australia, 2013). Relationships, whether casual or intimate, have their fair share
of ups and downs. The degree of intimacy and levels of emotional support between partners in a
relationship determine their willingness and ability or lack-there-of to work through problems to
repair and strengthen their relationship (Relationships Australia, 2013). This study will examine
the role of intimacy in CMC and how intimacy has developed different meanings through
growing popularity of the usage of CMC and SNS.

Social Networking Sites & Their Impact On Relational Intimacy

The ability to interact and work out problems face-to-face represents the traditional way
to communicate in an intimate relationship (ICA A, 2012). Strong communication skills,
similarities in interests and behaviors, and physical as well as emotional attraction to a partner all
contribute to building a happy and healthy relationship (Craig & Wright, 2012). Lack of
communication, similarities, and/or attraction between two people, however, poses a serious
threat to developing and maintaining romantic and intimate relationships (Utz & Beukeboom,
2011).
Social Media such as Facebook created a new way to interact and establish intimacy with
others: online. Simple conversations on Facebook chats lead to exchanging phone numbers to
text each other, which then leads to frequent conversation via text message. Texting back and
forth over a period of time decreases uncertainty and increases self-disclosure in a relationship,
and after texting for a while; a face-to-face interaction is usually arranged.
This chain of events became the new norm in developing intimate relationships, replacing
the previous norm of meeting organically, or in person. SNS gave users the ability to not only
hide feelings of uncertainty and awkwardness behind a computer screen, but it gave users the
ability to take time to process messages from someone, consult with friends, collect their
thoughts, and then craft the perfect response. In person, however, a person had to respond
immediately without time to think about a response. Not being able to look someone in the eye,
see their body language and facial expressions, or hear the tone in their voice when using SNS
contributes to an unnatural amount of confidence in a conversation but also increases the
likelihood of a miscommunication or misinterpretation of a message. SNS allows users to hide
behind their words and say things they normally wouldnt say in person, so when people who

Social Networking Sites & Their Impact On Relational Intimacy

initially communicated online interact in person, its common their online chemistry doesnt
translate well into a face-to-face setting.
Theoretical Conceptualization & Application
Irwin Altman and Dalmas Taylor developed the Social Penetration Theory (SPT) in order
to better understand how people establish trust and stronger levels intimacy through mutual selfdisclosure (ICA A, 2012). Self-disclosure, or the process of revealing personal information
about ones self through verbal communication, is achieved through usage of breadth and/or
depth in a conversation (Sheldon, 2009). Breadth is measured by the variety of topics, usually
general and broad, while depth is represented by the degree of intimacy or amount of sensitive
information disclosed. Altman and Taylor described self-disclosure to be similar to an onion,
because an onion has many layers (Griffin, Ledbetter, & Sparks, 2015). The first few are easier
to peel back or penetrate, but to reach the deeper layers is usually a more difficult task. The
deeper layers - much like a persons deepest secrets and desires are more protected due to the
high levels of vulnerability (Griffin, 2015). According to the onion model, penetration occurs
much faster and more often at the beginning, but it slows down as it reaches deeper layers of
information (Griffin, 2015).
As disclosure increases, relational intimacy increases. Similarities found through mutual
self-disclosure increase the likelihood of attraction (Craig & Wright, 2012), thus increasing the
probability of an intimate or romantic relationship to form. In the context of SNS, if someone
saw a mutual Facebook friend liked The Baltimore Ravens Official Facebook Page, and they
also liked the Ravens, they discovered common ground to initiate a conversation with that
person. When JMU students looked for a freshman roommate on the JMU Class of 2016
Facebook page, they started conversations with strangers based on posts containing mutual

Social Networking Sites & Their Impact On Relational Intimacy

interests, hometowns, majors, habits, or simply the appearance of their profile. Prior to largescale usage of SNS, incoming freshmen had to be assigned random roommates, room with
someone they already knew from home, or seek out a roommate at orientation.
SPT was developed based on FTF communication, but in recent years has been applied to
more virtual and technological studies (Ramirez, 2009). Through SPT and SNS, it is possible to
learn a lot about another person without interacting with him or her, thus violating the norms of
appropriate rate of disclosure early in a relationship (ICA A, 2012). Relationships formed
online through usage of the private messenger function or mutual membership to a specific
Facebook group based on similar interests or involvement bond people together who normally
wouldnt have encountered or interacted with each other in-person. The age of technology
created the ability to instantly connect with others and have complete control over when and how
someone discloses information about themselves with the members of their social network, and
in turn revolutionized the way intimate relationships are formed, maintained, and destroyed (ICA
B, 2012).
Charles Berger developed Uncertainty Reduction Theory (URT) to understand the human
desire to increase the level of partner certainty in relationship development (Pauley & EmmersSommer, 2007). According to Griffin, in addition to the measurement of uncertainty, Berger
developed eight axioms (i.e. - a self-evident truth (2015)) of relationship development: verbal
communication, nonverbal warmth, information seeking, self-disclosure, reciprocity, similarity,
liking, and shared networks (2015). Partners engage in passive, active, or interactive strategies
to reduce uncertainty in a relationship. (Pauley & Emmers-Sommer, 2007) Information is
obtained passively through mere observation of someone, actively by asking others about
someone, and interactively by directly communicating with the person someone wants to know

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10

more about. In order to reduce uncertainty between two people, open communication must
occur.
Intimacy in relationships cant develop overnight. Partners have to work at developing
deeper levels of intimacy between them, and this is done in a number of ways. URT can be
applied to intimacy in relationships, because reducing uncertainty between people bonds them
and allows them to connect on a more intimate level. The easiest way to reduce uncertainty
when meeting someone new or trying to get to know someone better is to ask questions
(Ramirez, 2009). Questions lead to discovery, and discovery leads to connections.
Suppose someone wanted to know if another person played an instrument, because they
were personally passionate about music and wanted their partner to share this interest with them.
If the person asked the other if they played and instrument and they revealed they played guitar
and sang, that discovery would further develop their relationship and give them an opportunity to
bond over their shared musical interests and talents.

Through the study of SNS, CMC, relational intimacy, and the application of SPT and
URT to these listed variables, the question of whether SNS such as Facebook have made an
impact on the overall level of intimacy and relational satisfaction between two people involved
in a romantic relationship will be answered. Research suggested UR and mutual self-disclosure
appeared to occur more frequently in CMC than FTF interactions (Pauley & Emmers-Sommer,
2007). SNSs make romantic relationships more public and make personal information about the
relationships much more accessible than traditional FTF communication (Craig & Wright, 2012).
Newer relationships established or enhanced by CMC tend to develop more rapidly due to the
lack of FTF interaction and ability to anticipate or formulate a response catered to other users.

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11

Through usage of SNS and CMC, relationships may escalate quickly and seem intimate initially,
but they can also lead to relational dissatisfaction or misinterpretation of social cues within a
Computer-Mediated conversation (Pauley & Emmers-Sommer, 2007). According to Julia Spira,
Americas Top Online Dating Expert and Digital Matchmaker and writer for The Huffington
Post, when you dont hear the sound of someones voice, often the texts are taken out of context
(2014). Self-disclosure leads to the reduction of uncertainty and the development of close
relationships (Griffin, 2015), and both theories can be applied to better understand romantic
relationships in a technologically influenced setting. The more a person already knows or can
find out about another person, the more confidence they will have to initiate a conversation to
begin developing a relationship. SNS contain a breadth and depth of information about someone
through their basic profile information, and curious minds can access this information
conveniently and in great detail.
While the usage of social media has become more common, there are many gaps in research
about it. Researchers have studied primarily romantic relationships developed and maintained
online, but less have studied the affect of two people using SNS has on their satisfaction with
their relationship FTF.
This study aims to test the affect SNS has on relational intimacy and satisfaction through
the communication theory lens. Based on research findings for this study, one could assume that
if two people involved in a romantic relationship are also actively involved in SNS, their overall
relational intimacy will be impacted.

RQ1: In what ways do SNS such as Facebook impact relational satisfaction and
intimacy?

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RQ2: How does the usage of SNS influence the way and to what degree a person in a
romantic relationship self-discloses with others?
H1: If two people involved in a romantic relationship are also engaged in SNS, their
overall relational intimacy will decrease.
H2: If two people involved in a romantic relationship are also engaged in SNS, their
overall rate of uncertainty reduction and self-disclosure will increase.

Methodology
Participants & Procedure
There will be at least 500 college students, both male and female, participating in this
research study. There will be no exclusions of race, gender, area of residence, socio-economic
status, or minimum duration of the romantic relationship, but the study will be limited to
participants that are involved in heterosexual romantic relationships and between the ages of 1824 (the average college-aged student). The categories listed above not excluded from the study
will, however, be measured and taken into consideration when analyzing the data and developing
the results of the study. In addition, the participants must be involved and experienced in SNS
usage and be utilizing CMC to communicate with their significant other in their relationship to
some degree.
Participants will be asked to complete an online survey, voluntarily, with questions
related to the topic of study consisting of preliminary demographic inquiries, Y/N questions,
opinion questions, and questions based on a specified rating scale. The quantitative sampling
method for this survey will consist of convenience and snowball sampling, because the survey
link will be sent out in a mass-email to all undergraduate and graduate students at a given

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university, posted on the universitys website, and participants will be encouraged at the end of
the survey to send the survey link to their friends or share it on their SNS. Although a
convenience and/or snowball sampling contains bias and does not accurately represent the entire
population of college students in intimate relationships who use SNS and CMC, it will give the
researcher an idea of the general attitudes, experiences, and concerns this population has in the
area of research. From there, further research such as focus groups or individual interviews
could be conducted with additional questions based on the original surveys results.
The participants will complete the online survey on a technological device of choice (i.e.
personal computer, library computer, cell phone) and submit it to the researcher through the
website the survey is created with. All submissions will be anonymous, but the survey will
include several demographic questions to help the researcher sort the data and analyze the results
without discrepancy. The researcher will only be able to observe, analyze, and draw conclusions
from the online survey results and will not interact electronically or FTF with participants.
Instrument
Through quantitative research methods, the researcher will administer an online survey to
participants to answer the research questions indicated at the beginning of this section. Such
research questions will be answered in the survey through a series of questions isolating the
independent variables (IV): SNS, CMC, and FTF Communication/Interaction and then applying
them to the dependent variable (DV): Relational Intimacy and Satisfaction. The researcher will
analyze the data collected from the survey to further prove the hypothesis that there is a
correlation between Social Media usage and relational intimacy & satisfaction as well as a the
hypothesis that there is a correlation between Social Media usage and uncertainty reduction.
Using a number rating scale 1-10 using a term such as satisfied not satisfied for a research

Social Networking Sites & Their Impact On Relational Intimacy

question about relationship satisfaction or communication skills between partners will provide
strong evidence to support the original hypotheses for the study that will be conducted.

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