Mobile Communication in Romantic Relationships: Mobile Phone Use, Relational Uncertainty, Love, Commitment, and Attachment Styles

Young adults’ use of communication technology within their romantic relationships and associations with attachment style

“…Many different technologies are utilized in this process, from e-mail to social media (for a review, see Tong & Walther, 2011 ). Electronic communi cation is also found to enhance mutual self-disclosure and emotional intimacy (Cooper & Sportolari, 1997 ), and greater cell phone use among college students with a romantic partner was associated with more love and commitment and decreased relationa l uncertainty (Jin & Peña, 2010 ). Some past research has examined motivations for selecting specific types of technology, for example with the content of messages dictating whether individua ls chose telephone communi cation (for discussing urgent matters across relationshi p types) or email (for communicating important but not urgent matters with acquaint ances; Tillema, Dijst, & Schwanen, 2010).…”

In-Person Contact Begets Calling and Texting: Interpersonal Motives for Cell Phone Use, Face-to-Face Interaction, and Loneliness

“…Accordingly, communication partners through cell phones are likely to overlap those with whom people usually interact in person. Indeed, cell-phone use tends to occur within close relationships such as families, romantic couples, and friends, 10,20,21 and mobile communication is likely to strengthen established social relationships rather than extend them. 10,22 People maintain family bonds, facilitate friendships, and build mutual support through cell-phone communication.…”

Self Disclosure, Autonomy and Connection: An Analysis of Texting In Romantic College Relationships

“…A study looking at these mobile phone rules by Jin and Pena in 2010, found that couples who had set rules of appropriate contact were positively correlated with relationship satisfaction. The couples who laid out the appropriate calling and texting times along with times when it was unacceptable to not answer an incoming call were more secure in their relationship together (Jin & Pena, 2010). These rules then play a role on the self-disclosure process.…”

“…The more frequently romantic dyads engaged in communicating through mobile phones, the higher satisfaction levels each partner experienced. "Greater use of mobile voice calls with a romantic partner was associated with lower relational uncertainty and more love and commitment" (Jin & Pena, 2010) While the main purpose of mobile phone usage is to communicate, the reduction of uncertainty is also a focal point during the initial interaction between romantic couples (Emmers& Canary, 1996). The struggle to reduce uncertainty through communication, and yet assert autonomy from the relational partner, is resolved by the creation of rules to cell phone usage developed within romantic pairs.…”