Ignore your partners’ current Facebook friends; beware the ones they add! Michelle Drouin a,⇑ , Daniel A. Miller a , Jayson L. Dibble b a Department of Psychology, Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne, United States b Department of Communication, Hope College, United States article info Article history: Available online 18 March 2014 Keywords: Social networking Commitment Facebook jealousy Facebook solicitation Attachment Facebook friends abstract In this study, we examined two behaviors that could evoke Facebook jealousy and cause relationship problems among romantic partners: (1) Facebook solicitation behaviors (i.e., making or accepting friend requests with romantic interests) while in the current relationship, and (2) having romantic interests on existing Facebook friends lists. In our sample of 148 undergraduates, those who had lower commitment to their partners were more likely to make and accept Facebook friend requests with romantic interests during their relationship. However, commitment was unrelated to the number of romantic alternatives contained on one’s Facebook friends list or the frequency of Facebook solicitation while single. Addition- ally, attachment anxiety predicted Facebook solicitation behaviors, but this relationship was mediated by Facebook jealousy. Our findings confirm that Facebook is used to solicit connections with romantic inter- ests both while single and during committed relationships; however, it is only those connections that are made during the relationship that are markers of lower commitment. Moreover, our study adds to a growing body of research that connects face-to-face relationship theories to the virtual environment. Ó 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction According to a recent survey by Pew Internet Research, 73% of American adults who use the internet engage in some sort of social networking (Duggan & Smith, 2014). Although social networking is becoming more diversified, with various sites such as Linkedin, Pinterest, and Instagram gaining popularity, Facebook still dominates the social networking landscape (Duggan & Smith, 2014). Among internet users 18 and over, 71% report using Facebook, (a 4% increase from 2012), and most (63%) access the site at least once per day (Duggan & Smith, 2014). As a result of its prevalence, social networking, and Facebook specifically, has attracted the attention of both media outlets and researchers, who have commented on and studied the effects of this social network platform on relationship formation and maintenance. Some of this attention has been directed specifically towards romantic relationships, where Facebook has been portrayed mainly as a threat or negative influence on romantic relationships (Utz & Beukeboom, 2011). This negative reputation may be well-de- served, as according to news sources, Facebook has been cited in as many as one-third of divorces in the past few years (e.g., Goldw- ert, 2012), and recent empirical research has shown that Facebook usage is related to physical and emotional cheating, breakups, and divorce (Clayton, Nagurney, & Smith, 2013). Facebook’s role in infidelity is so pronounced that a website entitled www.facebook- cheating.com has even emerged, and the stories contained on the website served as the basis for Cravens, Leckie, and Whiting’s (2013) empirical analysis of Facebook cheating. Not surprisingly, considering its cited role in infidelity, Facebook has also been the subject of research related to jealousy, surveillance behaviors, and relationship satisfaction (e.g., Darvell, Walsh, & White, 2011; Elphinston & Noller, 2011; Muise, Christofides, & Desmarais, 2009; Papp, Danielewicz, & Cayemberg, 2012; Utz & Beukeboom, 2011). Overall, these studies have shown a significant relationship between Facebook use, Facebook jealousy, surveillance behaviors, and lower relationship satisfaction. In this study, we extend the previous research by examining two Facebook behaviors that are potential sources of Facebook jealousy and surveillance: (1) having Facebook friends who are sexual/romantic desirables and (2) making or accepting a friend request from a person of potential romantic interest (i.e., Facebook solicitation behaviors). Recent research by Dibble and Drouin (2014) showed that many individuals keep in contact with sexual http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.02.032 0747-5632/Ó 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. ⇑ Corresponding author. Address: Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne, 2101 E. Coliseum Blvd., Fort Wayne, IN 46805, United States. Tel.: +1 260 481 6398. E-mail address: drouinm@ipfw.edu (M. Drouin). Computers in Human Behavior 35 (2014) 483–488 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Computers in Human Behavior journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/comphumbeh