Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Differences In Relational Maintenance Strategies: A Comparative Study, Ariana Smith, Kama Konda

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

Individuals in long-term relationships use relational maintenance strategies to sustain their relationships. This study investigates differences in the use of relational maintenance strategies by relational status (dating, engaged, and married) and by choice of communication channel. Findings from N = 96 individuals in long-term romantic relationships revealed that the most commonly used strategy was assurances, and that positivity and openness decreased as the length of relationship increased. Face-to-face was the most commonly used communication channel across all relational maintenance strategies, and social networking sites were the least used. In addition, married couples were less likely than either dating or engaged …