The Effects of Stigmatizing Discourse on the Quality of On-Line Relationships

Abstract

Previous research has demonstrated that a societal stigma exists against individuals involved in on-line relationships. This study was designed to examine the impact that stigmatizing discourse from off-line family and friends has on the overall quality of such relationships. Participants in this study consisted of 159 on-line relationship partners who completed a web-based survey. The survey asked participants to recall messages that they had received about their online relationship from their off-line family and friends, and to fill out a questionnaire addressing their level of stigma consciousness and their perceptions of the quality of their on-line relationship. Trained coders then rated the messages from family and friends for levels of disapproval, severity, and explicitness. Results demonstrated that more severe, disapproving, and explicit messages from off-line family and friends correlated with higher levels of stigma consciousness on the part of the on-line relationship participant. Additionally, relationship participants who experienced more stigma consciousness were less satisfied with the overall quality of their on-line relationships. The theoretical and methodological implications of these results for on-line relationship are discussed.

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