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

Abstract

Abstract:-College students in the United States are quickly becoming the experts of technological advancements and their implementation into everyday life. Arguably one of the most popular advancements within the last decade is the use of Short Message Service (or texting) with mobile phones. The researchers chose to investigate how texting, within a romantic couple of the college generation, affected the relationship. Specifically, the researchers explored the effect texting had upon self-disclosure and the balance between autonomy and connectedness within a couple. Participants of the study hailed from a faith-based institution of higher education in an urban area of the Midwestern United States. The study thoroughly addressed the relationship between the frequency of texting and its aftereffects on both self-disclosure and the dyadic tension between autonomy and connection.