The Protective Influence of Relationship Commitment on the Effects of Facebook Addiction on Marital Disaffection

Previous research has suggested that Facebook use can lead to adverse romantic relationship outcomes due to interpersonal conflicts, interactions with potential romantic alternatives, and jealousy. However, these associations have been explored mainly with undergraduates, focusing primarily on confl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American journal of family therapy 2019-03, Vol.47 (2), p.120-136
Main Authors: Abbasi, Irum Saeed, Drouin, Michelle, McDaniel, Brandon T., Dibble, Jayson L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Addictions
Couples
Facebook addiction
Jealousy
marital disaffection
Marriage
relationship commitment
Romantic relationships
social media
Spouses
Undergraduate Students
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Summary:Previous research has suggested that Facebook use can lead to adverse romantic relationship outcomes due to interpersonal conflicts, interactions with potential romantic alternatives, and jealousy. However, these associations have been explored mainly with undergraduates, focusing primarily on conflict rather than emotional disengagement. The current study examined the associations between Facebook addiction and marital disaffection (e.g., loss of love, emotional disengagement) amongst 138 (95 females and 43 males) cohabiting married Facebook users residing in the United States. The results revealed that Facebook addiction and marital disaffection were positively related, even after controlling for relationship commitment. Additionally, greater relationship commitment weakened the association between Facebook addiction and marital disaffection. There are likely multiple explanations for the current findings; however, results suggest that higher levels of relationship commitment may protect spouses against the negative relationship outcomes associated with Facebook addiction. Future longitudinal work with couples is needed to clarify the directionality of the relationship between Facebook addiction and marital disaffection.
ISSN:0192-6187
1521-0383
DOI:10.1080/01926187.2019.1613940