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New Media & Society
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Relational quality and media use in interpersonal relationships

Nancy K. Baym

University of Kansas, USA

Yan Bing Zhang

University of Kansas, USA

Adrianne Kunkel

Purdue University, USA, adkunkel{at}ku.edu

Andrew Ledbetter

University of Kansas, USA

Mei-Chen Lin

Kent State University, USA

This study examines the relationship between relational quality and media use in relationships. In addition, the impacts of other potentially important variables such as the sex and relationship type of the participants and their partners are explored. College student participants focused on interaction experiences with an acquaintance, friend, romantic partner or family member. The results indicated that participant sex and partner sex did not affect reported media use, whereas relationship type had significant effects on the extent to which face-to-face and telephone communication were used. Relationships with acquaintances had the lowest relational quality and romantic relationships, while closer, were less satisfying than either family or friendship relationships. Same-sex relationships were perceived as more satisfying than cross-sex relationships. Finally, media use did not predict relational closeness or satisfaction.

Key Words: media use • relational closeness • relational quality • relational satisfaction • relationship type • sex

New Media & Society, Vol. 9, No. 5, 735-752 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1461444807080339
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