Can insecurely attached dating couples get compensated on social network sites? -The effect of surveillance

Insecure attachment is detrimental to romantic relationships. However, surveillance through Social Networking Sites (SNSs) is assumed to be beneficial for romantic relationships in prior studies. Does surveillance offer a compensatory effect for insecure couples? The present study aims to explore the combined effect of romantic attachment and surveillance on relationships for college dating couples. The actor and partner interpersonal model (APIM) was introduced to deal with mutual influences between both parts of the couples. We recruited 250 dating couples for this research. Our study revealed that both anxiety and avoidance have negative effects on one's own and one's partner's perceived relationship quality. Furthermore, surveillance may offset males' lower perceived relationship quality when this perception is caused by partners' avoidance. Although surveillance may not compensate for lower perceived relationship quality caused by one's own insecure attachment, it may help mitigate the effects of an avoidant partner.