Page 92 - Never Too Far Away? The Roles of Social Network Sites in Sojourners’ Adjustment

access to social information, which have been neglected in previous research on LDRR (Jiang & Hancock, 2013; Johnson et al., 2008; Rintel, 2013; Tong & Walther, 2011). This study contributes to the existing literature by comparing individuals in GCRR and LDRR with respect to amount of SNS use for relationship maintenance, specifically in expressing involvement and gauging a partner’s involvement in the relationship.
SNS use and romantic relationships
The possibility to communicate mundane, everyday events makes SNS useful in relationship maintenance (Tong & Walther, 2011). Importantly, the public context of SNS interaction provides opportunities for public displays of affection and mutual belonging (Tong & Walther, 2011; Utz & Beukeboom, 2011). Also, via SNS, people can unobtrusively access their partner’s social interactions with others (Tokunaga, 2011; Utz & Beukeboom, 2011). GCRR couples do make use of these SNS affordances (Clayton, et al., 2013; Craig & Wright, 2012; Dainton, 2013; Darvell et al., 2011; Emery et al., 2014; Fox & Warber, 2013; Hand et al., 2013; Marshall et al., 2012; McEwan, 2013; Muise et al., 2009; Papp et al., 2012; Saslow et al., 2013; Stewart et al., 2014; Tokunaga, 2011; Utz & Beukeboom, 2011), and those who integrate face-to-face and online communication experience greater relational closeness (Caughlin & Sharabi, 2013). Because LDRR lack daily physical togetherness, it was predicted that those in LDRR would have relatively higher levels of SNS use intensity (i.e., SNS use, emotional connectedness to the medium, and integration of the medium in one’s daily activities) (Ellison, Steinfield, & Lampe, 2007):
H1: Individuals in LDRR have higher levels of SNS use intensity than those in GCRR.
SNS and relationship maintenance processes
Expressing relationship involvement via SNS. Relationship maintenance
involves processes that not only sustain the relationship but also ensure relationship satisfaction (Dindia & Canary, 1993; Stafford, 2003). The efforts exerted to sustain a satisfying relationship are referred to as relational maintenance behaviors (Canary & Stafford, 1992). These behaviors consist of strategic efforts (i.e., conscious strategies intended to maintain the relationship) and routine efforts (i.e., every day, mundane behaviors enacted without the explicit goal of maintaining the relationship but which may serve maintenance
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