Positive and Negative Maintenance Behaviors, Jealousy, and Facebook: Impacts on College Students' Romantic Relationships
Previous work has linked the use of Facebook with romantic jealousy. Further, research indicates that one of the central motives for using Facebook is relationship maintenance. This study sought to uncover the relationships among Facebook use, emotional jealousy, and positive and negative maintenance behavior. Online surveys were completed by 109 college students. Results indicate no relationship between time spent on Facebook and feelings of jealousy, and only two relationships between time spent on Facebook and the use of either positive or negative maintenance. Online monitoring of the partner was moderately associated with emotional jealousy, however, indicating that when considering the impact on romantic relationships the amount of time spent on Facebook is not as important as how Facebook is being used. Lastly, three variables predicted nearly 50% of the variance of relationship satisfaction: assurances (a positive maintenance behavior) infidelity (a negative maintenance behavior) and jealousy. Neither time spent on Facebook nor online monitoring entered the equation.