Date of Graduation

8-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Communication (MA)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Communication

Advisor/Mentor

Aloia, Lindsey S.

Committee Member

Leach, Rebecca B.

Second Committee Member

Amason, Patricia

Keywords

Deception; Face concerns; Relational commitment; Relational intimacy; Romantic relationships; Sex differences

Abstract

The goals of this study are twofold. First, I examined the influence of sex, relational intimacy, and face concerns on deploying deceptive communication within romantic relationships. Second, I investigated the impact of deceptive communication on relational commitment and relationship satisfaction. Two hundred twenty-two college-aged students completed self-report measures assessing the variables of interest. Results demonstrated that men and women deceive their romantic relationship partners at similar rates; however, deception is differentially motivated across the sexes. In addition, results indicated that relational intimacy was negatively associated with the frequency of deceit, although relational intimacy was not significantly associated with specific motives for deception. While self-face concerns were positively associated with the frequency of deceit, other-face concerns were not significantly associated with the frequency of deceit. Finally, the frequency of deploying deceptive strategies was negatively associated with both relational commitment and relationship satisfaction.

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