Facebook Usage

and Relationship
Satisfaction
BY: IAN DEMARSE, MATT REED
AND MITCH SKARBAN
DR. AIMEE LAU

Introduction
Previous

research has shown

that Facebook usage can tear a
family apart (Mndez, 2014).

Previous

research has shown

that people with more Facebook
friends are more social (Tom
Tong & Van Der Heide, 2008).

Previous

research has shown

that being in a romantic
relationship causes people to
monitor their partner online

Purpose/Hypothesis
Our

research was looking at how

Facebook usage affects 3 types of
relationships; Family, Friends and
Romantic Relationships.

We

had 3 different hypothesis

1.

Facebook usage will have a positive

influence on family relationships.

2.

Facebook usage will have a positive

influence on Friendships.

3.

Facebook usage will have a negative

influence on romantic relationships.

Method: Participants
52

student participants

33

females

19

males

Average

age: 18

Selection of classes assigned

Participants needed to have a
facebook account

Methods: Materials
A

psych test was used

redeveloped for the survey.

The

questions were rewritten to

go with our study.

There

were three sections to

the survey.
Romantic,
20

family and friend

Likert-type scale questions

and two open ended
questions for each section.

Methods: Procedures
Participants

were asked if they

had Facebook.

The

informed consent was read

to the participants, while the
survey was being handed out.

Participants

completed the
survey and raised a hand to
show us they were done.

The

debriefing statement was

given to each participant as
they finished.

Results
The

results showed that there

was no significant correlation
between Facebook usage and
friendship and family
satisfaction.

Friendship

Sat: N=52, r= .
086, p=.544

Family

Sat: N= 52, r= .195,

p= .166

Results
They

also showed that there was

no significant correlation between
romantic satisfaction and
facebook usage.

RomSat:
Many

N=48, r= -.157, p= .287

participants stated that

there was negative influences
associated with Facebook usage.
Ex. Fights about Facebook
material.

Results
Results

showed there was a

correlation between friendships
and romantic relationships.

N=48,

r= .327, p= .023

Friendships

and Family had a

perfect correlation.

N=52,

r=1.000, p=.000

Gender

differences seemed to
have no association between
any relationships.

Discussion
Going

back to our original

question, relationship satisfaction
was not affected by Facebook
usage.

None

of our hypotheses were met

because relationship satisfaction
was not affected.

This

is important because it shows

that what you put on the internet
does not always impact a persons
relationships.

Discussion
Previous

research was wrong

saying that Facebook usage can
tear a family apart (Mndez,
2014).

Limitations

to the study was that

we surveyed mainly freshmen
and that some people could not
complete the survey because
they were never in a romantic
relationship.

New

question: does the amount

of Facebook friends effect
relationships?