College Students’ Use of Relational Management Strategies in Email in Long-Distance and Geographical

College Students’ Use of Relational Management Strategies in Email in Long-Distance and Geographically Close Relationships

Amy Janan Johnson

University of Oklahoma

Michel M. Haigh

The Pesylvania State University

Jeifer A. H. Becker

University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire

Elizabeth A. Craig

University of Oklahoma

Shelley Wigley

Texas Tech University

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This study examines how email is utilized to enact maintenance behaviors in interpersonal

relationships and explores whether geographic distance between individuals affects

this process. Two hundred twenty-six college students accumulated personal email messages

over a one-week period. These emails were coded using Canary and Stafford’s

(1994) maintenance strategy topology. Results indicate that self-disclosure (opeess),

discussing social networks, and positivity were the main categories found in email to

family members and friends. For romantic partners, the most common categories were

assurances, opeess, positivity, and discussing social networks. Romantic partners and

family members were more likely than friends to use assurances, and family members

were more likely than romantic partners to refer to the social network. There were few

differences between geographically close and long-distance interpersonal relationships.

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