Communication and Courtship
that are relevant to interaction” (p. 370). Due to the situational limitations of long-distance
relationships, scholars and lay persons have questioned whether or not these relationships could
be successfully maintained and relationally satisfying. Such pessimism regarding distance
relationships is likely attributable to the perceived challenges long-distance partners confront due
to their limited face-to-face interaction (Stafford, 2005). As Stafford and Merolla (2007)
reported, LDDR partners experience far less face-to-face interaction and
no greater mediated
interaction than GCDR partners. The interactional deficits in LDDRs raise questions about the
nature of LDDR partners’ talk, and how such talk differs from that of GCDR partners (Stephen,
1986). For example, as a result of limited interactional opportunity, scholars have forwarded the
idea that LDDR partners, relative to GCDR partners, have a higher proclivity for intimacy-
focused interaction, as well as a greater propensity to enact selective positive self-presentation
during face-to-face visits, including the avoidance of conflict (Sahlstein, 2004; Stafford &
Merolla; Stafford & Reske, 1990; Stephen, 1986).
First alerting scholars to a possible communication consequence of long-distance
relating, Stephen (1986) speculated that individuals in LDDRs narrow their conversations to
focus on intimacy, love, and relational issues, perhaps at the expense of other areas of talk. If
LDDR partners’ talk has a heavy emphasis on intimacy, it is plausible that they are prone to
romantic idealization. Exploring this possibility, Stafford and Merolla (2007) found multiple
indicants of idealization (e.g., idealistic distortion, romanticized ruminations, perceived
agreement) were higher for long-distance daters relative to proximal ones. Yet Stafford and
Merolla explored idealized cognitions and perceptions, rather than communication. Thus, despite
Stephen’s speculation and Stafford and Merolla’s findings, which seem to indicate LDDR
partners’ day-to-day interaction may be characterized by a strong intimacy focus due to
5
Convention