1. Summary of article
The article by Spencer et al., (2017), focuses on the possible link between partner’s perception of the media and relationship satisfaction. Massive technological development has led to increased media accessibility in the most unprecedented way. Technology enables individuals to interact, relationally, occupations and even socially while at the same time, people have focused so much on the type and frequency of the accessed media. Most of the previous research has shown that often, couples experiences conflicts over the use of media but researchers have not yet explored the field of the implication of media use within romantic relationships. There are five hypotheses in this study including:
“ H1 There will be a positive association between problematic media use and criticism-defensiveness patterns between partners
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H2 There will be a negative association between perceptions of problematic media use and relationship satisfaction between partners
H3 Criticism and defensiveness patterns between partners will partially mediate the relationship between the attitudes of problematic media use and relationship satisfaction
H4 There will be a positive association between perceptions of problematic media use and demand-withdraw patterns between partners
H5 Demand-withdraw patterns between partners will partially mediate the relationship between the attitudes of problematic media use and relationship satisfaction ” (Spencer et al., 2017).
To respond to the research question, data was gathered from a sample of approximately 242 respondents through an online survey. The data from the study indicated that the demand-withdraw and criticism’s pattern of defensiveness seemed to be negatively correlated with the overall level of satisfaction in relationships. The correlation between relationship satisfaction and the usage of problematic media was significantly mediated through the patterns of criticism-defensiveness and demand-withdrawal (Spencer et al., 2017). There is thus a higher probability for the clinical practitioners to consider the utilization of media among partners in a romantic relationship as process level interactions. It will help them to be in a better position to implement an intervention which uses clients’ usage of media to reduce the utilization of problematic media, promote relationship satisfaction and stability.
2 a. strengths of the article
The authors of the study have borrowed heavily from existing research to support their views and argument from reliable sources which ultimately make the article objective and reliable. Further, the use of primary empirical research is a crucial strength of the journal because primary research always generates unbiased research from real life experiences (Spencer et al., 2017). The article dramatically contributes to the existing rapidly growing body of literature that examines the effects of the utilization of media on the dynamics of the relationships dynamics and their outcome.
2 b. weaknesses/limitations of the article
According to Spencer et al., (2017), despite the fact that the study seems to be highly valuable regarding establishing the significance of relational dynamics when taking into consideration the use of media in a romantic relationship it has its limitations. First, the study used a small sample size which means that the results obtained could not be generalized to the entire population as a result of the positively skewed distributions of age, socioeconomic status in addition to the lack of diversity. Secondly, most of the subjects were females; a lesser homogeneous population sample could have resulted to a greater generalizability. Lastly, the study used convenience sampling technique using online survey which could have excluded the certain individual from taking part in the research who might have other interactions with technology that could have influenced the quality of their relationships.
Reflection
Going through the article, I believe that the authors have focused on one of the most critical issues of concern in the modern day society. The authors approached the problem in a very formal way and went deeper to understand how the use of media affects a romantic relationship. The use of primary research through online survey played a critical role in this study because the researchers were able to gather real-life experiences from an individual in the real world hence contributing towards the reliability and objectivity of the research. The opinion put forward in the article is clear and without bias. The use of language was also critical in ensuring that they present their views in the explicit way possible using simple English.
The information contained in the article is paramount importance in our day-to-day life because; it might help in resolving specific conflicts particularly in a romantic relationship related to the use of media. I now clearly understand the impact of media use and the views brought out in the article would be helpful to the types of media to avoid and ways to achieve relationship satisfaction. Evidently, internet addiction has been shown to be associated with lower levels of vitality and happiness; therefore, I will put measures in place to ensure that I avoid the possibilities of becoming addicted to the internet. When the right time comes where I will be engaged in a romantic relationship, I will ensure that none of us becomes addicted to internet usage to save our relationship.
The article apparently is related to various aspects that were covered and discussed in psychology lecture. The first element is how internet addiction develops and affects our mental activities, reasoning and in the long run affect our romantic relationship. A destructive media has been established to be closely associated with a reduced relationship satisfaction which in the long run impacts our personality. The relationship is another aspect discussed in our lecture and reading textbook. The relationship is of greater importance to human beings; however, the media use among couples has been shown to have higher negative and positive impact on the quality of the relationship. Human beings are social being; therefore, it would be essential to make sure that media use does not affect our romantic relationship.
Reference
Spencer, T. A., Lambertsen, A., Hubler, D. S., & Burr, B. K. (2017). Assessing the Mediating Effect of Relationship Dynamics Between Perceptions of Problematic Media Use and Relationship Satisfaction. Contemporary Family Therapy , 39 (2), 80-86.
