Connecting here and there: A model of long-distance relationship maintenance

Abstract

This study examines a model of long-distance relationship maintenance. The model captures the relational cognition and communication partners enact before, during, and after periods of separation to sustain relational quality. Phase 1 of this study, through inductive analysis, identified 178 forms of maintenance. Phases 2 and 3 employed factor analysis and produced support for a 10-factor model. Subsequent tests assessed how these factors predicted intimacy, satisfaction, and stress for long-distance dating partners. Although several of the factors were significant predictors, the effects were not uniform. The strength and directionality of effects depended on the interactional style of partners' maintenance (i.e., intrapersonal, dyadic, or network) and the time of its enactment (i.e., before, during, or after periods of separation). © 2012 IARR.