Can texting be used to improve romantic relationships?—The effects of sending positive text messages on relationship satisfaction

• Content of first text to romantic partner was manipulated in two experiments.
• Participants sent a positive text to their partner everyday for two weeks.
• Positive texting had a positive effect on romantic satisfaction.
• Positive texting had to be written in one’s own words to be effective.
• Initiating texting also had a positive effect on romantic satisfaction.

Texting has become a highly popular communication tool in college students. The current studies were designed to use texting to promote positive communication between romantic partners with the hope to enhance relationship satisfaction. In two studies, the authors experimentally manipulated the content of the first messages that participants sent out to their romantic partner everyday for two weeks. Participants’ satisfaction was assessed at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of the study. The partners, who were unaware of their partner’s involvement in the study, were contacted at the end of the study and reported their satisfaction. The experimental conditions in Study 1 did not show statistically significant differences in their relationship happiness trajectory over the two weeks from the control condition, possibly due to the fact that participants sent out scripted texts provided by the researchers. In Study 2 the experimental groups wrote their own texts following instructions provided by the researchers. All experimental conditions showed a significantly different satisfaction trajectory compared to the control condition. However, partner satisfaction did not respond to the texting manipulation in either study.