The Connection between Online Social Networking and Relationship Conflict

Sonja Hebert

Psychology

Mentor: Dr. Elizabeth Yost Hammer

View a PDF version of this research manuscript

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the connection between online social networking usage and relationship conflict in the relationships of college students. The participants in this study were 18 college students, mostly African American females. The study is centered on a non-experimental design that used surveys to collect data and measure each of these variables. Several t-tests were conducted to analyze the data and only one finding was significant. This significant finding suggests that frequent online social networking is negatively related to relationship conflict. Unexpectedly, the finding was the opposite of the hypothesis, which expected that frequent online social networking usage would be positively related to frequent relationship conflict. Limitations, implications, and suggestions for future research are also discussed.

Key Terms

Jealousy, Online Social Networking, Relationship Conflict, Relationship Maintenance, Relationship Threat

About the Author

Sonja Hebert is a Psychology major with a minor in English from Harvey, LA. Upon graduating in May, she plans on enrolling in graduate school, studying Rehabilitation Counseling. Read more ...

About the Faculty Mentor

Dr. Elizabeth Yost Hammer, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching, has a research background in social psychology and the scholarship of teaching and learning.