Benjamin Le
Biographic Data
| ID | 648968 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Benjamin Le |
| GIVEN NAMES | Benjamin |
| FAMILY NAME | Le |
| SIGNATURE | LE B |
| AFFILIATIONS | Haverford College |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-5522-6654 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 21 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 87 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 21 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2001 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2024 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Emotional experiences of ghosting
Although ghosting (i.e., unilaterally ending a relationship by ceasing communication) has only recently entered the lexicon, it is a regularly used form of relationship dissolution. However, little research has examined the emotional experiences of ghosting, particularly the experiences of those on both sides of the ghosting process. In a multi-method study, participants who had both ghosted and been ghosted in previous romantic relationships (N …
Exploring individuals’ descriptive and injunctive norms of ghosting
In this project, we explored descriptive and injunctive norms of ghosting and whether norms differed based on prior experiences with ghosting in romantic relationships. Ghosting is the act of unilaterally ceasing communication with a partner to dissolve a relationship. Perceived norms contribute to intentions and behaviors, but scholars have not previously investigated individuals’ perceived norms of ghosting (i.e., how common they think it is, h…
A Downside of Increasing Human Capital: The Role of Higher Education in Poverty Segregation in U.S. Cities
City administrations often work hard to attract or retain college-educated residents. Research has consistently demonstrated that increased education in a city is associated with beneficial outcomes, making cities’ efforts to recruit and retain college-educated individuals logical. However, we challenge the notion that rising rates of education is a universal positive by investigating a potential downside of such efforts: poverty segregation. In …
The role of gender and safety concerns in romantic rejection decisions
A multi-study examination of attachment and implicit theories of relationships in ghosting experiences
Ghosting is a dissolution strategy where the initiator ends all communication with the other person, ignoring attempts to reestablish the interaction. We examined the associations between attachment (i.e., anxiety/avoidance) and ghosting, and replicated previous work on implicit theories of relationships (i.e., growth/destiny) and ghosting. Study 1 ( N = 165) was an exploratory analysis of attachment and ghosting experiences, with those previousl…
Ghosting and destiny: Implicit theories of relationships predict beliefs about ghosting
Two studies examined how implicit theories of relationships are associated with ghosting (i.e., ending a relationship by cutting off all contact). Previous research on implicit theories of relationships has identified two types of beliefs, destiny and growth, and the present research examines how these implicit theories are associated with ghosting perceptions, intentions, and behaviors. Study 1 was an exploratory study conducted on Mechanical Tu…
Do we look happy? Perceptions of romantic relationship quality on Facebook
Does the information that people share about their romantic relationships on Facebook influence how other people perceive their relationship quality? Across 2 studies, people's accuracy at inferring others' relationship quality based on their Facebook profiles and how Facebook profiles influenced others' judgments of people's relationship quality and likability were investigated. Perceived relationship quality corresponded to self‐reported relati…
Imagining the White Picket Fence: Social Class, Future Plans, and Romantic Relationship Quality
Previous research has established that individuals from a lower social class report lower relationship quality. However, to date, no studies have examined interdependence processes within the relationship as a mechanism underlying this association. The present research investigates the role of planned tangible investments as a mediator between social class and relationship quality. Across two studies, we test this hypothesis correlationally (Stud…
Committed to the honor code: An investment model analysis of academic integrity
Predictors of friend approval for romantic relationships
Three studies (1 correlational and 2 experiments) applied the investment model to explain social network approval for others' romantic relationships. Study 1 supported the prediction that friends' perceived satisfaction and perceived alternatives were predictive of their approval for target relationships, while perceived investments was not a significant predictor. Studies 2 and 3 employed experimental manipulations of perceived satisfaction to t…
Attachment and the investment model: Predictors of relationship commitment, maintenance, and persistence
This research examines adult attachment and the investment model. Study 1 tests anxiety and avoidance predicting romantic relationship commitment, mediated by satisfaction, alternatives, and investments. Additional studies added outcomes of relationship maintenance (Study 2) and persistence (Study 3). In all 3 studies, satisfaction, alternatives, and investments mediated the associations between anxiety and avoidance and relationship commitment. …
Commitment to the environment and student support for “green” campus initiatives
Building a model of commitment to the natural environment to predict ecological behavior and willingness to sacrifice
Missing you maintains us: Missing a romantic partner, commitment, relationship maintenance, and physical infidelity
Working from the perspective of interdependence theory and models of relationship maintenance, this study examined the functional role of missing a romantic partner during a brief geographic separation. Eighty-eight undergraduate students involved in romantic relationships completed a measure of commitment prior to separation, and measures of missing a romantic partner, relationship maintenance, and physical infidelity during their winter break. …
Predicting nonmarital romantic relationship dissolution: A meta-analytic synthesis
A meta-analysis of predictors of nonmarital romantic relationship dissolution was conducted, including data collected from 37,761 participants and 137 studies over 33 years. Individual, relationship, and external variables were investigated, and results suggest that commitment, love, inclusion of other in the self, and dependence were among the strongest predictors of dissolution. Other relational variables such as satisfaction, perceptions of al…
Perceived versus reported social referent approval and romantic relationship commitment and persistence
The current study examined social network influence processes on romantic relationship outcomes by obtaining the reported opinions of social referents as well as romantic relationship members’ perceptions of social network members’ opinions. Participants were 254 (151 women) college students from the United States involved in romantic relationships along with a male and female friend who all completed surveys regarding the participants’ romantic …
Missing a romantic partner: A prototype analysis
In this study, a prototype analysis of romantic missing was conducted. College‐age participants in the United States generated features of missing a partner (Study 1) and rated their centrality (Study 2). In a reaction time task, participants made category judgments for central features more quickly than for noncentral features (Study 3). In recognition and recall tasks, central features were more salient in participants’ memory, and participants…
Assessing Relationship Closeness Online: Moving From an Interval-Scaled to Continuous Measure of Including Others in the Self
A continuous measure of relationship closeness inspired by the Inclusion of Other in the Self Scale was designed using Java. This new measure allows for closeness to be assessed on a continuous scale of zero to 100, with output values corresponding to the degree of overlap and distance between the objects in the applet. In addition, the applet includes options to enhance its flexibility and usefulness in research applications. In particular, the …
Thinking about commitment: Accessibility of commitment and prediction of relationship persistence, accommodation, and willingness to sacrifice
Research has demonstrated that more accessible cognitive constructs (e.g., attitudes, stereotypes) are more likely to influence thoughts and behaviors. The current research applies a social cognition framework to the prediction of romantic relationship persistence (i.e., “stay‐leave” behavior), accommodation, and willingness to sacrifice. Conceptualizing commitment as a partially cognitive construct and following from social cognition and attitud…
Commitment and its theorized determinants: A meta–analysis of the Investment Model
We conducted a meta–analysis of Rusbult's Investment Model of commitment. Across 52 studies, including 60 independent samples and 11,582 participants, satisfaction with, alternatives to, and investments in a relationship each correlated significantly with commitment to that relationship. Moreover, these three variables collectively accounted for nearly two–thirds of the variance in commitment. Commitment, in turn, was found to be a significant pr…
Need Fulfillment and Emotional Experience in Interdependent Romantic Relationships
Drawing from theoretical models of emotion and aspects of interdependence theory, we investigated the association among need fulfillment, relative dependence, and emotional experience within romantic relationships. Daily self-reports of general and relationship-related emotional experience and perceived fulfillment of relationship needs were collected on four consecutive days from participants involved in romantic relationships. Consistent with h…
Need Fulfillment and Emotional Experience in Interdependent Romantic Relationships
Drawing from theoretical models of emotion and aspects of interdependence theory, we investigated the association among need fulfillment, relative dependence, and emotional experience within romantic relationships. Daily self-reports of general and relationship-related emotional experience and perceived fulfillment of relationship needs were collected on four consecutive days from participants involved in romantic relationships. Consistent with h…
Ghosting and destiny: Implicit theories of relationships predict beliefs about ghosting
Two studies examined how implicit theories of relationships are associated with ghosting (i.e., ending a relationship by cutting off all contact). Previous research on implicit theories of relationships has identified two types of beliefs, destiny and growth, and the present research examines how these implicit theories are associated with ghosting perceptions, intentions, and behaviors. Study 1 was an exploratory study conducted on Mechanical Tu…
Missing you maintains us: Missing a romantic partner, commitment, relationship maintenance, and physical infidelity
Working from the perspective of interdependence theory and models of relationship maintenance, this study examined the functional role of missing a romantic partner during a brief geographic separation. Eighty-eight undergraduate students involved in romantic relationships completed a measure of commitment prior to separation, and measures of missing a romantic partner, relationship maintenance, and physical infidelity during their winter break. …
The role of gender and safety concerns in romantic rejection decisions
A multi-study examination of attachment and implicit theories of relationships in ghosting experiences
Ghosting is a dissolution strategy where the initiator ends all communication with the other person, ignoring attempts to reestablish the interaction. We examined the associations between attachment (i.e., anxiety/avoidance) and ghosting, and replicated previous work on implicit theories of relationships (i.e., growth/destiny) and ghosting. Study 1 ( N = 165) was an exploratory analysis of attachment and ghosting experiences, with those previousl…
Assessing Relationship Closeness Online: Moving From an Interval-Scaled to Continuous Measure of Including Others in the Self
A continuous measure of relationship closeness inspired by the Inclusion of Other in the Self Scale was designed using Java. This new measure allows for closeness to be assessed on a continuous scale of zero to 100, with output values corresponding to the degree of overlap and distance between the objects in the applet. In addition, the applet includes options to enhance its flexibility and usefulness in research applications. In particular, the …
Committed to the honor code: An investment model analysis of academic integrity
A Downside of Increasing Human Capital: The Role of Higher Education in Poverty Segregation in U.S. Cities
City administrations often work hard to attract or retain college-educated residents. Research has consistently demonstrated that increased education in a city is associated with beneficial outcomes, making cities’ efforts to recruit and retain college-educated individuals logical. However, we challenge the notion that rising rates of education is a universal positive by investigating a potential downside of such efforts: poverty segregation. In …
Commitment to the environment and student support for “green” campus initiatives
Need Fulfillment and Emotional Experience in Interdependent Romantic Relationships
Drawing from theoretical models of emotion and aspects of interdependence theory, we investigated the association among need fulfillment, relative dependence, and emotional experience within romantic relationships. Daily self-reports of general and relationship-related emotional experience and perceived fulfillment of relationship needs were collected on four consecutive days from participants involved in romantic relationships. Consistent with h…
Commitment and its theorized determinants: A meta–analysis of the Investment Model
We conducted a meta–analysis of Rusbult's Investment Model of commitment. Across 52 studies, including 60 independent samples and 11,582 participants, satisfaction with, alternatives to, and investments in a relationship each correlated significantly with commitment to that relationship. Moreover, these three variables collectively accounted for nearly two–thirds of the variance in commitment. Commitment, in turn, was found to be a significant pr…
Thinking about commitment: Accessibility of commitment and prediction of relationship persistence, accommodation, and willingness to sacrifice
Research has demonstrated that more accessible cognitive constructs (e.g., attitudes, stereotypes) are more likely to influence thoughts and behaviors. The current research applies a social cognition framework to the prediction of romantic relationship persistence (i.e., “stay‐leave” behavior), accommodation, and willingness to sacrifice. Conceptualizing commitment as a partially cognitive construct and following from social cognition and attitud…
Assessing Relationship Closeness Online: Moving From an Interval-Scaled to Continuous Measure of Including Others in the Self
A continuous measure of relationship closeness inspired by the Inclusion of Other in the Self Scale was designed using Java. This new measure allows for closeness to be assessed on a continuous scale of zero to 100, with output values corresponding to the degree of overlap and distance between the objects in the applet. In addition, the applet includes options to enhance its flexibility and usefulness in research applications. In particular, the …
Perceived versus reported social referent approval and romantic relationship commitment and persistence
The current study examined social network influence processes on romantic relationship outcomes by obtaining the reported opinions of social referents as well as romantic relationship members’ perceptions of social network members’ opinions. Participants were 254 (151 women) college students from the United States involved in romantic relationships along with a male and female friend who all completed surveys regarding the participants’ romantic …
Missing a romantic partner: A prototype analysis
In this study, a prototype analysis of romantic missing was conducted. College‐age participants in the United States generated features of missing a partner (Study 1) and rated their centrality (Study 2). In a reaction time task, participants made category judgments for central features more quickly than for noncentral features (Study 3). In recognition and recall tasks, central features were more salient in participants’ memory, and participants…
Predicting nonmarital romantic relationship dissolution: A meta-analytic synthesis
A meta-analysis of predictors of nonmarital romantic relationship dissolution was conducted, including data collected from 37,761 participants and 137 studies over 33 years. Individual, relationship, and external variables were investigated, and results suggest that commitment, love, inclusion of other in the self, and dependence were among the strongest predictors of dissolution. Other relational variables such as satisfaction, perceptions of al…
Building a model of commitment to the natural environment to predict ecological behavior and willingness to sacrifice
Missing you maintains us: Missing a romantic partner, commitment, relationship maintenance, and physical infidelity
Working from the perspective of interdependence theory and models of relationship maintenance, this study examined the functional role of missing a romantic partner during a brief geographic separation. Eighty-eight undergraduate students involved in romantic relationships completed a measure of commitment prior to separation, and measures of missing a romantic partner, relationship maintenance, and physical infidelity during their winter break. …
Attachment and the investment model: Predictors of relationship commitment, maintenance, and persistence
This research examines adult attachment and the investment model. Study 1 tests anxiety and avoidance predicting romantic relationship commitment, mediated by satisfaction, alternatives, and investments. Additional studies added outcomes of relationship maintenance (Study 2) and persistence (Study 3). In all 3 studies, satisfaction, alternatives, and investments mediated the associations between anxiety and avoidance and relationship commitment. …
Commitment to the environment and student support for “green” campus initiatives
Predictors of friend approval for romantic relationships
Three studies (1 correlational and 2 experiments) applied the investment model to explain social network approval for others' romantic relationships. Study 1 supported the prediction that friends' perceived satisfaction and perceived alternatives were predictive of their approval for target relationships, while perceived investments was not a significant predictor. Studies 2 and 3 employed experimental manipulations of perceived satisfaction to t…
Imagining the White Picket Fence: Social Class, Future Plans, and Romantic Relationship Quality
Previous research has established that individuals from a lower social class report lower relationship quality. However, to date, no studies have examined interdependence processes within the relationship as a mechanism underlying this association. The present research investigates the role of planned tangible investments as a mediator between social class and relationship quality. Across two studies, we test this hypothesis correlationally (Stud…
Committed to the honor code: An investment model analysis of academic integrity
Do we look happy? Perceptions of romantic relationship quality on Facebook
Does the information that people share about their romantic relationships on Facebook influence how other people perceive their relationship quality? Across 2 studies, people's accuracy at inferring others' relationship quality based on their Facebook profiles and how Facebook profiles influenced others' judgments of people's relationship quality and likability were investigated. Perceived relationship quality corresponded to self‐reported relati…
Ghosting and destiny: Implicit theories of relationships predict beliefs about ghosting
Two studies examined how implicit theories of relationships are associated with ghosting (i.e., ending a relationship by cutting off all contact). Previous research on implicit theories of relationships has identified two types of beliefs, destiny and growth, and the present research examines how these implicit theories are associated with ghosting perceptions, intentions, and behaviors. Study 1 was an exploratory study conducted on Mechanical Tu…
A multi-study examination of attachment and implicit theories of relationships in ghosting experiences
Ghosting is a dissolution strategy where the initiator ends all communication with the other person, ignoring attempts to reestablish the interaction. We examined the associations between attachment (i.e., anxiety/avoidance) and ghosting, and replicated previous work on implicit theories of relationships (i.e., growth/destiny) and ghosting. Study 1 ( N = 165) was an exploratory analysis of attachment and ghosting experiences, with those previousl…
Exploring individuals’ descriptive and injunctive norms of ghosting
In this project, we explored descriptive and injunctive norms of ghosting and whether norms differed based on prior experiences with ghosting in romantic relationships. Ghosting is the act of unilaterally ceasing communication with a partner to dissolve a relationship. Perceived norms contribute to intentions and behaviors, but scholars have not previously investigated individuals’ perceived norms of ghosting (i.e., how common they think it is, h…
A Downside of Increasing Human Capital: The Role of Higher Education in Poverty Segregation in U.S. Cities
City administrations often work hard to attract or retain college-educated residents. Research has consistently demonstrated that increased education in a city is associated with beneficial outcomes, making cities’ efforts to recruit and retain college-educated individuals logical. However, we challenge the notion that rising rates of education is a universal positive by investigating a potential downside of such efforts: poverty segregation. In …
The role of gender and safety concerns in romantic rejection decisions
Emotional experiences of ghosting
Although ghosting (i.e., unilaterally ending a relationship by ceasing communication) has only recently entered the lexicon, it is a regularly used form of relationship dissolution. However, little research has examined the emotional experiences of ghosting, particularly the experiences of those on both sides of the ghosting process. In a multi-method study, participants who had both ghosted and been ghosted in previous romantic relationships (N …
Psychology (19 works) · Social Psychology (18 works) · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics (16 works) · Romance (13 works) · Developmental psychology (9 works) · Behavioral Health and Interventions (6 works) · Social Psychology (6 works) · Computer Science (5 works) · Ghosting (5 works) · Media Influence and Health (5 works)