“Using Facebook lets me know what he is doing:”: relational uncertainty, breakups, and renewals in on-again/off-again relationships
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[1] North Central College
North Central College
Township of Naperville, Estados Unidos
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[2] University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
City of Milwaukee, Estados Unidos
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- Localización: Southern communication journal, ISSN 1041-794X, Vol. 84, nº 5, 2019 (Ejemplar dedicado a: (Un)coupling: the initiation, maintenance, and dissolution of romantic relationships), págs. 328-339
- Idioma: inglés
- Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
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Resumen
Uncertainty is a central but understudied element of on-again/off-again relationships, in which partners experience at least one renewal after a breakup. The current study investigates uncertainty reducing behaviors both generally and on Facebook. College-aged Facebook users (N = 220) responded to closed-ended measures of relational uncertainty and number of breakups and renewals, and open-ended questions regarding reasons for breakups/renewals and relational uncertainty reduction strategies. Relational uncertainty was higher among participants in an “off” stage and those who reported a higher number of breakups. The most reported behaviors on Facebook were passive (e.g., viewing a partner’s profile) and outside of Facebook were active (e.g., asking a mutual friend). These findings offer insight into the role of relational uncertainty in on-again/off-again relationships.
