Research Title: Elevated Romantic Love and Jealousy if Relationship Status is Declared on

Facebook
Authors: Gábor Orosz, Ádám Szekeres, Zoltán G. Kiss, Péter Farkas and Christine Roland-Lévy
Date of Publication: 26 February 2015
Name of Journal: Frontiers in Psychology
I. INTRODUCTION:
Originally, public ways of expressing the officiality of a couple’s relationship is by wearing
a ring (for married couple), facial expression and interaction towards partner and proximity in a
public setting. I consider these actions – especially wearing of a ring – a direct move to convey the
intimacy of a relationship to the public. Due to the advancement of opportunity to connect with
people because of the rise of social media, especially Facebook which known as the social media
with the most user, the declaration of a couple’s relational status also expanded. What might be
the effect of declaring the relationship status of a couple to the love and jealousy in their
relationship?
A research in Hungary with 532 participants (380 female and 152 male) with the age
ranging 16 – 69 was conducted to examine the link between romantic love and jealousy in
connection to the declaration of a relationship status. This is a correlational study with the
declaration of Relationship status in Facebook as Independent variable and the elevation of
jealousy and love score as dependent variable. Respondents were recruited by posting an online
survey link on Facebook. In order to assess relationship status, respondents of the online survey
answered the following question: “Are you currently dating with a romantic partner and/or living
in a relationship?” by choosing the following possibilities: “No” (N = 181, 34.7%), “Rather no”
(N = 23, 4.3%), “Rather yes” (N = 31, 5.8%), “Yes” (N = 292, 55.1%). The respondents who
answered “Yes” were analyzed. In this subsample 66 (22.6%) respondents displayed nothing in
their relationship status, 8 (2.7%) displayed “Single,” 179 (61.3%) displayed “In a relationship,”
12 (4.1%) displayed “Engaged,” and 27 respondents (9.2%) displayed “Married.” The first scale
is the Rubin’s (1970) Romantic Love Scale and second was the Hungarian version of Mathes and
Severa’s (1981) Interpersonal Jealousy Scale.
The researchers assumed that declaration of relationship status will cause both love and
jealousy scores to be higher. Well, it appears that they’ve made a precise assumption because the
results show that declaring the relationship status publicly offers a small additional, independent
predictive power of Interpersonal Jealousy scores. The results supported the hypotheses since
significant differences were found regarding love and jealousy between those who posted their
relationship status publicly on Facebook and those who did not. Furthermore, both jealousy and
love were predicted by the declaration of the relationship status. The results also suggest that
women, intensive Facebook users, and individuals who experience elevated love are more jealous.
In addition to these effects, those who report their relationship status experience more jealousy
compared to those who are in a relationship but do not indicate it on Facebook.
II. CRITIQUE IN METHODOLOGY
Strength:
Hierarchal multiple regression analysis was used by the researcher to determine whether
gender, length of relationship and Facebook use intensity explains a statistically significant amount
of variance to the elevation of love scores and jealousy score from participants who declared and
did not declare their relationship status in Facebook. The use of such data analysis is notable
because based from Bommae. (n.d.). University of Virginia Library Research Data Services
Sciences. Retrieved from https://data.library.virginia.edu/hierarchical-linear-regression/, this
analysis can only be use to determine whether newly added variables show a significant
improvement. It is also important that the sample is effectively and purposely selected in an
efficient and fast way for the accuracy of the research and the duration of the study. (The researcher
used Facebook application based on Kosinski and Stillwell’s myPersonality application and a
platform provided by Psychometric Center of University of Cambridge, which allowed the
researchers to acquire Facebook user information such as relationship status.) The translation of
the scales that are used in this research also contribute to its precision in acquiring desired data.
Weakness:
The sample size of the research isn’t plenty enough given that 90.83% of Hungarians are
Facebook user Social Media Stats Hungary. (n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2018, from
http://gs.statcounter.com/social-media-stats/all/hungary. From that data, it is highly possible that
there are more population of Facebook users that declared their relationship status in Facebook
that can be subjected to the same research to produce a more accurate result. With regards to the
intensity of Facebook use variable that the researcher extracted from the participants, the answers
may not be given accurately. When engaging in Facebook activity, not tracking the time you’ve
spent is always a possibility.
III. INSIGHTS
I consider the declaration of relationship status in social medias, especially in Facebook,
irrelevant and unimportant. However, upon reading the discussion part of this research I learned
that there are people who consider such action as the “new ring of the new generation” and the
“elevation of the romantic love” of a couple. I will take this action in consideration when I get
involve in a romantic relationship. I guess as long as time proposes new opportunities to display
one’s deep admiration towards someone, we humans will never hesitate to grab it.
This is genuinely an interesting human behavior at display. It is interesting because if you are
to think a little longer, the message of such declaration isn’t mainly focused in informing the social
media world but possibly for the desired growth of the current relationship that is being declared
while disregarding the chances that thousands of your Facebook friends doesn’t really care at all.
It is always a possibility that such action is viewed by the couple as an important step due to its
societal commonness. Possibly, it is for the sake to secure the stability of the relationship. I think
the primary objective of such declaration is to emphasize the importance of the relationship to the
partner and not mainly to inform the public.
More psychological studies involving social media is vastly observed nowadays and I do think
that it is significant to be more involve in such studies because the prevalence and dependency of
the modern society to social media surely poses an effect to human behavior. This study implies
that the field of Psychology encompasses digital world and should continue to do so. Another
thing, this research was done in a Western country which is inherently different from Eastern
setting. Asians, specifically Filipinos are known as people who are indulged in the use of social
media. It is interesting to know whether the data will show the same result when Asians participate
with the same research. The field of Psychology is harmoniously existing with other fields of
Sciences as well as in Technology and must continue to do so because of its effects and our
society’s use of it as an extension of our conscious and unconscious behavior.
INTRODUCTION:
- The display of officiality of a couple is not a modern idea but is observed even in ancient
times – in a form of proximity, physical interactions – rings are the highest expression of
trust as far as Egyptians and greeks are concerned.
- Rings are an essential part of wedding, wedding is the official public announcement of a
couple’s undying love and commitment to each other.
- Who among you are in a relationship?
- Who among you declared their relationship in their facebook?
- Papp et al.’s (2012) results which showed that posting relationship status is a major factor
for women’s relationship satisfaction. Based on Fox et al.’s (2013) results, published
relationship status can be interpreted as a social and interpersonal commitment, and as a
sign that the couple is “off the market.”
METHODOLOGY
- The variables extracted from the participants are their gender, length of their relationship
and Facebook use intensity.
- The average length of the respondents’ relationship was 37.82 months.
- The first scale
o affiliative and dependent need, Affiliateive needs are biologically driven human
needs wherein they require bonds and attachments to others like
themselves, urge to look for unthreatening relationship

o (b) predisposition to help – expected aid from partner

o (c) exclusiveness and absorption – going steady and committed
- 2nd scale the Hungarian version of Mathes and Severa’s (1981) Interpersonal Jealousy
Scale includes 12 items.
o jealousy toward ex-partner (I become sad if I see a picture about X and his/her ex-
partner),
o exclusivity (i.e., I feel possessive toward X),
o anticipated infidelity [I don’t believe that if X would flirt with someone from
opposite sex (R)]