Too much Facebook makes you unfaithful?

Does too much of Facebook make one an unfaithful? A recent study suggests so.

The study by Russell Clayton, Alexander Nagurney, and Jessica Smith looked into the relationship between using Facebook and negative interpersonal relationship outcomes.

"The results indicate that a high level of Facebook usage is associated with negative relationship outcomes, and that these relationships are indeed mediated by Facebook-related conflict," read the abstract.

But the silver lining is that such relationships affected by Facebook are "relatively newer relationships of three years or less."

Yet, the study said it is the latest addition to a "growing body of literature investigating Internet use and relationship outcomes."

It also said it could lead to further research "investigating whether Facebook use attributes to the divorce rate, emotional cheating, and physical cheating."

Clayton is from the University of Missouri-Columbia, while Nagurney is with the Department of Psychology, University of Hawaii. Smith is with the Department of Marriage and Family Therapy of St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas.

The study used a survey of 205 Facebook users aged 18 to 82 using a 16-question online survey to examine whether high levels of Facebook use predicted negative relationship outcomes.

Such outcomes may include breakup/divorce, emotional cheating, and physical cheating.

"It was hypothesized that those with higher levels of Facebook use would demonstrate more negative relationship outcomes than those with lower use. The study then examined whether these relationships were mediated by Facebook-related conflict. Furthermore, the researchers examined length of relationship as a moderator variable in the aforementioned model," the abstract said. — VC, GMA News