Page 108 - Never Too Far Away? The Roles of Social Network Sites in Sojourners’ Adjustment

alleviate (or confirm) doubts about their partner’s feelings and the future of their relationship (Billedo et al., 2015; Keneski & Loving, 2014; Knobloch & Solomon, 1999). Thus, SNSs may function as venues for couple members to access social capital and receive relationship support from their social networks (Ellison et al., 2014; Papacharissi & Mendelson, 2008; Utz & Breuer, 2017). In this study, we focused on Facebook because it is currently the most popular SNS (Ahmad, 2019). Given that SNSs are deliberately used for romantic relationship maintenance in both LDRR and GCRR (Billedo et al., 2015; Dainton & Stokes, 2015), we examined in these two types of relationships how Facebook usage (including duration of use, network size, and integration of Facebook into one’s life) may facilitate access to relationship support from romantic partners’ Facebook contacts. We present our first hypothesis:
H1: Facebook use is positively associated with access to Facebook relationship support.
SNSs relationship support and perceived relationship quality. Social
networks can be powerful in directing the outcome of a relationship (Arriaga, Goodfriend, & Lohmann, 2004). According to a social network perspective, “couples exist with systems of networks that frequently alter their interactions, affect their roles, and influence their decisions” (Felmlee, 2001, p.1260). For instance, the range of relational maintenance behaviors of couples that are associated with better relationship quality include interactions and time spent with a shared network of friends and even acquaintances (Stafford & Canary, 1991).
A social network perspective (Felmlee, 2001), as well as the more recent social network evaluation and transmissions model (Keneski & Loving, 2014), predict that network support and approval influence romantic relationship outcome. The opposite hypothesis that relationship quality, specifically relational closeness, predicts network support is also plausible. However, this is particularly evident in recently initiated relationships (Arriaga et al., 2004). In ongoing relationships, network support is more likely to influence closeness and stability. Research on established relationships suggests that the effect of social support and approval on relationship quality is more robust than the reverse effect (Arriaga et al., 2004; Sinclair, Hood, & Wright, 2014).
Access to relationship support on SNSs might be able to provide couples public relational experiences and processes that may serve relationship maintenance functions in both LDRR and GCRR (Billedo et al., 2015). It is likely that couple members who receive relationship support on SNSs, such as Facebook, may
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