Effects of texting on satisfaction in romantic relationships: The role of attachment

This study sought to overcome some of the methodological limitations in previous studies and clarify the role of attachment in the associations between texting and romantic relationship satisfaction. Specifically, a new, relative measure of texting usage was created to estimate the share of texting in communication compared to other channels (e.g., face-to-face, phone, and etc.), in addition to using the traditional, absolute measure of texting usage (i.e., the number of texts sent to partners). A sample of 395 participants completed an online survey regarding texting behavior. Background variables were controlled for in all analyses, particularly the physical distance between partners, which was often overlooked in previous research. The results suggested that texting share showed positive links with both attachment dimensions and a negative link with relationship satisfaction, whereas the sheer volume of texts had little association with attachment dimensions or satisfaction.

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