THE IMPACT OF TRUST ON RELATIONSHIP SATISFACTION AMONG EMERGING PAKISTANI FEMALES: MODERATING ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA SALIENCE

Abstract

Objectives: The current study aimed to understand the contribution of trust in
maintaining and enhancing romantic satisfaction and further assess this within
the current era of social media and internet usage.
Design of Study: Correlational study
Place and Duration of the Study: February 2023 to June 2023 at the Institute of
Professional Psychology, Bahria University, Karachi campus,
Sample and Method: 317 emerging Pakistani females between the age ranges of
18-29, approached through convenience sampling through multiple areas of
Karachi, Pakistan. It was hypothesized that Trust will have a significant impact
on Relationship Satisfaction and that Social Media Salience will moderate this
relationship. Demographic Form, Relationship Assessment Scale, Social
Networking Addiction Scale (Salience Subscale) and Trust in Close Relationships
Scale were used.
Results and Conclusion: The regression analysis showed that Trust had a
substantial 44.3% (p< 0.05) impact on Relationship Satisfaction. The moderator
analysis showed that the interaction term between trust and social media salience
was -0.053, indicating that Social Media Salience plays a negative moderating
role in relating Trust and Relationship Satisfaction. The findings of this study
expand the understanding of salient use of social media, and the extent of the
negative effects media has on trust and satisfaction within romantic relationships.