Is the quality or the frequency of communication? The communication on social networks sites moderates the association between attachment and relational satisfaction

Abstract

Online social networks are very important in every-day life as they offer new possibilities for communication. Couples may benefit from new opportunities and thus achieve better levels of relationship satisfaction. Some psychological characteristics may interfere with online communication in predicting satisfaction. This study was designed to examine associations between attachment insecurity, communication on Social Network Sites (SNS), and relational satisfaction. SNS communication was postulated to be a moderator in the relationship between attachment and relational satisfaction among Romanian young couples. The participants were 73 couples (146 individuals). Structural equation modeling using the actor-partner interdependence moderated model demonstrated that attachment insecurities show strong associations with relational satisfaction (both actor and partner effects) and that both the quality and the frequency of the communication on social network sites shape in different ways these associations. The results emphasize the role of SNS communication and how it can determine different patterns of relational satisfaction based on the attachment orientation of partners.