Dooley 1

Alex Dooley
COMM 221 Research Project Report
Dr. Lynn Cooper
12 December 2013

Computer Mediated Communication and How it Impacts Relationship-Building

Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) plays a significant role in the progression of

relationships from non-romantic to romantic in nature. Introducing CMC to a relationship
certainly impacts the kind and quality of relationship that develops, as well as influencing the
speed of progression from familiarity to intimacy (Jiang 2011, 74). The literature review included
articles addressing social media and its effects on relationships, CMC and how it impacts selfdisclosure, affective technologies, CMC connectedness as a predictor for face-to-face
interactive compatibility, CMC as a good communicative outlet for those with social and physical
disabilities, and mixed-mode relationships.
A thorough reading of the literature review confirmed both the research interviews
conducted as part of this project and the initial thesis, which is as follows:
Romantic relationships developed primarily through mediated means (particularly online
social networks, instant messaging services, text messaging, and other forms of textbased communication) progress from platonic, non-romantic friendships to romantic in
nature more easily and more quickly than those developed in ways that necessitate
face-to-face interaction or physically talking with the other person involved (e.g. speaking
on the telephone).
The methodology for conducting research to investigate the thesis was personal
interviews. Three men and three women, all students at Wheaton College, were selected for

Dooley 2
interviews regarding their experience with CMC and its impact on their relationships. The
questions were as follows:
1. Have you ever been a part of a romantic relationship? How quickly was that romantic
relationship developed from the time you first met the person to the moment when you
began a romantic relationship? How long did the relationship last? Are you still in contact
with this person today?
2. Have you ever been a part of a romantic relationship that specifically developed primarily
through mediated forms? How quickly was the romantic aspect of the relationship
developed from the time you first met the person? Are you still in contact with this person
today?
3. Compared to other relationships and friendships, do you feel more comfortable
disclosing secrets and sensitive information to those with whom you communicate
primarily through mediated forms?
Some limitations in the research include the small sample size of participants and potential for
personal bias in conducting these interviews myself. Acknowledging the potential for bias from
the start, I made every attempt to simply ask the questions as outlined, record the responses
given, and ask for follow-up on appropriate statements.
Reviewing the data collected from the interviews produced interesting results. Out of the
ten relationships analyzed, the interviewees reported that CMC drastically decreased the
amount of time it took for romantic relationships to develop from their non-romantic friendships.
On average, five romantic relationships took 5.5 weeks to develop when CMC was the primary
method of communicating, whereas the other five in question took 6.25 months to develop on
average when face-to-face communication was primary. In addition to being the primary means
of communication in five of the ten relationships analyzed, CMC was used for the purpose of
initiating the romantic aspect of the relationship in eight of the ten relationships; meaning that

Dooley 3
three relationships where face-to-face communication was the primary means of communication
were started over CMC. This points to CMCs ease of access and preferability among collegeage students in initiating relationships. Five of six interviewees reported feeling significantly
more comfortable self-disclosing over CMC in comparison with face-to-face communication.
In conclusion, CMC significantly impacts relationship-building, particularly among college
students. The literature review and research interviews support the thesis statement of this
project. CMC expedites the process of a relationship moving from non-romantic to romantic in
nature and serves many other benefits as well. Recognizing the limitations of the nature of
research done for this project, it is difficult to draw any definitive conclusions about how CMC
impacts relationship-building specifically at Wheaton College, but the results provide a good
starting point for understanding the nature of Wheaton students and how they use social media
and other forms of CMC to interact with their romantic prospects and partners.