Love Online: How Relationship Awareness on Facebook Relates to Relationship Quality Among College Students

Recent literature has provided evidence that online behaviors may be a manifestation of off-line cognitions; furthermore online self-presentations may shape off-line outcomes. The present study examined the associations between the individual difference variable of authenticity (measured via relationship and dispositional authenticity), relationship awareness on Facebook (conveyed through posting one's relationship status as being "in a relationship,"displaying a "partnered" relationship status, posting pictures with one's partner, and posting status updates including or about one's partner), and overall relationship quality among college students. Furthermore, relationship awareness on Facebook was explored as a possible mediator of the relationship between authenticity and relationship quality. After controlling for dispositional authenticity, we found a direct relationship between relationship authenticity and relationship quality such that individuals who demonstrated a higher degree of relationship authenticity tended to report higher levels of relationship quality. In addition, results revealed an indirect effect of relationship authenticity on relationship quality through relationship awareness. Our findings suggest that those high in relationship authenticity may be more intrinsically motivated to express themselves as part of a couple on Facebook, which in turn may affect their global relationship functioning. This study offers a method of studying relationship awareness in an online context.