Recent research suggests that social network sites enable users to reconnect with prior relational partners with whom they had lost contact. The present study examines whether relationship characteristics and the total number of postreconnection channels used differ as a function of relational persistence and modality switching (MS) to face-to-face (FtF). Results reveal that partners whose relationship persisted reported more positive pre–loss-of-contact characteristics and greater modality expansion post-reconnection than did their counterparts. Similarly, partners who met FtF after reconnecting also reported more positive pre–loss-of-contact characteristics and greater modality expansion post-reconnection than did partners whose relationship did not persist.
Article
Relational Reconnection on Social Network Sites: An Examination of Relationship Persistence and Modality Switching
Communication Reports
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2014
Disciplines
Abstract
Identifier
10.1080/08934215.2013.851725
Publisher
Routledge
Citation Information
Ramirez, A., Jr., & Bryant, E. M. (2014). Relational reconnection on social network sites: An examination of relationship persistence and modality switching. Communication Reports, 27(1), 1-12. doi: 10.1080/08934215.2013.851725