Files
Abstract
Social psychologists have long considered how contexts influence people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. In line with this perspective, this dissertation considers how social technologies—broadly defined—are a context in which people initiate (Paper 1), maintain (Paper 2), and end (Paper 3) social relationships. Paper 1 examines how people’s expectations of and experiences with screen time, social interaction, and solitude may influence whether they talk to strangers in daily life. Findings from four studies (N = 1,258) revealed that people tend to forecast and experience a good mood when talking to a stranger, followed by using their smartphone, and then by sitting alone with their thoughts. However, participants ranked watching television and texting over talking to a stranger. Therefore, people may use their smartphones in the presence of strangers to escape the unpleasantness of solitude, or because they do not prioritize the benefits of social interaction. Paper 2 examines how group conversations compare when in-person and over video chat. Findings from three studies (N = 1,066) suggest that overall video chat conversations are just as intimate and enjoyable as in-person ones, but differences emerge as more people are added to a conversation. When in-person, group conversations were less intimate and more enjoyable than dyadic ones. But when over video chat, group conversations were even less intimate and just as enjoyable or less enjoyable. Thus, adding more people to a conversation seems to alter relationship processes differently across contexts. Finally, Paper 3 examines the phenomenon of ghosting—the act of ending a relationship by ceasing communication without explanation—which has been proliferated by smartphones. Findings from three studies (N = 1,509) suggest that people with a high need for closure are slightly more likely to use ghosting to end a relationship, but they also experience a greater threat to their psychological needs when they are ghosted. Further, being ghosted resulted in lower psychological needs satisfaction than direct rejection. Together these findings suggest that being ghosted is a painful experience and that those most likely to engage in ghosting are also the ones who may be most harmed by being ghosted.