This communication study explores the relation between commitment, relational maintenance strategies, and text message use in romantic partners. This study examines how these three factors are connected through the use of surveys. It was hypothesized that romantic partners who were more committed to one another would use text messages to communicate about certain relational maintenance strategies. Results showed romantic partners who used more relational maintenance strategies did in fact use text messages to communicate about these issues more often. Also, couples who were more committed to their partner did use more positivity when communicating through text messages with their partner. It was also found that males use the relational maintenance strategy of openness more often than females when communicating through text messages.
","abstract_html":"<p>This communication study explores the relation between commitment, relational maintenance strategies, and text message use in romantic partners. This study examines how these three factors are connected through the use of surveys. It was hypothesized that romantic partners who were more committed to one another would use text messages to communicate about certain relational maintenance strategies. Results showed romantic partners who used more relational maintenance strategies did in fact use text messages to communicate about these issues more often. Also, couples who were more committed to their partner did use more positivity when communicating through text messages with their partner. It was also found that males use the relational maintenance strategy of openness more often than females when communicating through text messages.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Baber, Vashaun M."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts (MA)","degree_level":"Open Access Thesis","degree_discipline":"Communication, Media and Theatre Arts","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Sam Shen, Ph.D, Chair","Michael Tew, Ph.D","Kathleen Stacey, Ph.D"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2012-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:16:44Z","subjects":["commitment","relational maintenance strategies","romantic partners","text messages","Communication"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.emich.edu/theses/379","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Sam Shen, Ph.D, Chair","Michael Tew, Ph.D","Kathleen Stacey, Ph.D"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Baber, Vashaun M."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2012-05-02T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Communication, Media and Theatre Arts"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Open Access Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts (MA)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["commitment","relational maintenance strategies","romantic partners","text messages","Communication"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/379"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This communication study explores the relation between commitment, relational maintenance strategies, and text message use in romantic partners. This study examines how these three factors are connected through the use of surveys. It was hypothesized that romantic partners who were more committed to one another would use text messages to communicate about certain relational maintenance strategies. Results showed romantic partners who used more relational maintenance strategies did in fact use text messages to communicate about these issues more often. Also, couples who were more committed to their partner did use more positivity when communicating through text messages with their partner. It was also found that males use the relational maintenance strategy of openness more often than females when communicating through text messages.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Relational maintenance: An examination of how gender, relational maintenance strategies, and commitment affect the use of text messages in romantic relationships"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Sam Shen, Ph.D, Chair","Michael Tew, Ph.D","Kathleen Stacey, Ph.D"],"dc:creator":["Baber, Vashaun M."],"dc:date.available":["2012-05-02T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This communication study explores the relation between commitment, relational maintenance strategies, and text message use in romantic partners. This study examines how these three factors are connected through the use of surveys. It was hypothesized that romantic partners who were more committed to one another would use text messages to communicate about certain relational maintenance strategies. Results showed romantic partners who used more relational maintenance strategies did in fact use text messages to communicate about these issues more often. Also, couples who were more committed to their partner did use more positivity when communicating through text messages with their partner. It was also found that males use the relational maintenance strategy of openness more often than females when communicating through text messages.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/379"],"dc:subject":["commitment","relational maintenance strategies","romantic partners","text messages","Communication"],"dc:title":["Relational maintenance: An examination of how gender, relational maintenance strategies, and commitment affect the use of text messages in romantic relationships"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Communication, Media and Theatre Arts"],"thesis:degree_level":["Open Access Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts (MA)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:16:44Z"}