Some things are best left unsaid, especially in online relationships.

Although I love the MTV Catfish program, I have come to realize it is ruining relationships. In every episode, two people who have fostered an online romance but never met in person are brought together. Some of these relationships have existed happily for years. The partners communicate with each other several times a day and on an intimate level. The “catch” is that one of them has been impersonating someone they’re not, and so the victim is shocked to discover the truth when they meet face-to-face. The perpetrators have usually lied about one major characteristic such as their gender, weight, sexual orientation, or job. If this sounds familiar, the case of professional football player, Manti Te’o, is an example of catfishing. I admittedly tune in to watch these episodes week after week, hoping that one of the relationships will work out, but none of them do.

So maybe secrets, especially in the case of catfish, are good for relationships. Scientists have known for a long time that some degree of secrecy exists in a majority of satisfying, long-term unions. That is, partners typically do not disclose everything to one another, particularly if they want the relationship to last.

With respect to catfish, one point seems obvious: when they keep their secret, the relationship flourishes; when they tell the truth, the relationship dies. Without the MTV Catfish intervention, such relationships might not experience such devastating conclusions, or would they? The partners seem to obtain many benefits from their relationship, which have been documented on the show. For example, individuals with stigmatized identities (e.g., transgender) and significant hardships (e.g., financial, health) find companionship and support with their catfish partner. These relationships aren’t unlike face-to-face relationships in that they contain intimacy, romance, and even sex. But from the victim’s standpoint, are these benefits grossly overshadowed by feelings of betrayal?

I argue that everyone is a catfish to some extent. In the early phases of a romantic relationship, partners typically present a best self or embellish certain qualities to appear more attractive to their prospective mates. Catfish deception may also occur in long-term relationships such as when individuals present a false self to conceal infidelity, or enter a heterosexual marriage to disguise a same-sex orientation. The point is that most people, at some point in time, have appeared as someone they are not.

I like the term catfish because of its origin. It was first coined in a documentary film by the same name (spoiler alert!) when the film’s star, Nev, who now hosts the MTV Catfish show, discovered that he had been catfished by an older, married woman who was posing online as her younger, single daughter. At the end of the film, Nev interviews the woman’s husband to unearth whether he knew of his wife’s alternate identity. The husband responds with a story that suggests he neither knew, nor wishes to know, and that he even approves of his wife’s secrecy. His story goes like this…when sailors used to ship live codfish from Alaska to China, the fish would turn mushy in their crates from staying still too long. One day, a sailor got the idea to put catfish in the crates to “keep the cod agile” during the trip. The husband then goes on to state that in life, some people are catfish. They keep things lively.

From a researcher’s standpoint, we know that happy and long-lasting relationships result from the interplay of predictability and freshness. That is, individuals want to feel secure and accepted by their partner, but they need novelty and excitement, too. The most fulfilling relationships are ones in which our partners keep us guessing, to at least some degree. So as the second season of the MTV Catfish show begins, I will tune in each week, hoping to see a relationship succeed. And if none do, I guess there will be reason to tune in next season.

If you or someone you know has experienced catfishing, as a victim or initiator, please consider volunteering for my study (use the link below). I hope my research will provide greater insight about this important phenomenon.

 

http://csusbpsych.us.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_a3imY82q0LDC46N

 

© Copyright 2013 Kelly Campbell, Ph.D., All rights Reserved.
SHARE
Previous articleRescuing Yourself From White Knight Syndrome (5): Examining Self View
Next articleRescuing Yourself From White Knight Syndrome (6): Repairing Your Self-Esteem
Dr Campbell is an Associate Professor at the University of Georgia specialising in human development and interpersonal relationships. Her research interests are broadly focused on interpersonal relationships and ethnic minority families. Within interpersonal relationships, Dr Campbell is interested in how chemistry operates in friendships and romantic relationships, and how being in love helps and/or hinders performance across domains (e.g., academics, athletics, creativity).She also has other lines of research in the areas of couple rituals, infidelity, and the meaning of marriage. For ethnic minority families, She is interested in health disparities and has recently examined the Latino paradox, which is that Latinos tend to fare better than European Americans in terms of health outcomes, despite being over-represented among low income groups. Dr Campbell also teaches courses on intimate relationships (HD 550), race and racism (SSCI 316), personality (PSYC 385), parenting (PSYC 303 and HD 690), and advanced human development (HD 480). Grants, Honors, and Awards Outstanding Teaching Award, International Association for Relationship Research, 2012 Faculty Professional Development Mini-Grant – Love and Functioning Across Domains: An Examination of Academics and Athletics. California State University, San Bernardino, May, 2011 Innovative Course Development Grant – Student Learning and Racial Understanding: How Technology Can Help. California State University, San Bernardino, April, 2011 Faculty Fellow: Research Infrastructure in Minority Institution Program 1P20MD002722, National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, Period of Funding: September, 2010 – August, 2012 Outstanding Teaching Award, Department of Psychology, California State University, San Bernardino, Spring 2011 Action Teaching Award, Honorable Mention, Social Psychology Network, February 2011 Representative Publications Campbell, K., Garcia, D., Granillo, C., & Chavez, D. V. (in press). Exploring the Latino paradox: How socioeconomic and immigration status impact health. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences. Silva, L., Campbell, K., & Wright, D. W. (in press). Intercultural relationships: Entry, adjustment, and cultural negotiation. Journal of Comparative Family Studies. Campbell, K., Wright, D. W., & * Flores, C. (2012). Newlywed women’s marital expectations: Lifelong monogamy? Journal of Divorce and Remarriage, 53 (2), 108-125. Nazarinia-Roy, R., & Campbell, K. (2012). Feminist perspectives and diversity teaching. Family Science Review, special issue Teaching about Families: Current Reflections on Our Journeys in Family Science Educators, 17 (1), 44-53. Campbell, K., Silva, L., & Wright, D. W. (2011). Rituals in unmarried couple relationships: An exploratory study. Family and Consumer Science Research Journal, 40 (1), 45-57. Campbell, K., & Wright, D. W. (2010). Marriage today: Exploring the incongruence between Americans’ beliefs and practices. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 41 (3), 329-345. Futris, T., G., Campbell, K., Nielsen, R. B., & Burwell, S. (2010). The Communication Patterns Questionnaire-Short Form: A review and assessment. The Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families, 18 (3), 275-287. Parker, M. L., Berger, A. T., & Campbell, K. (2010). Deconstructing infidelity: A narrative approach for couples in therapy. Journal of Couple and Relationship Therapy, 9, 66-82. Kafetsios, K. & Campbell, K. (2009). Measuring non-verbal communication of emotion in personal relationships: The Affect Communication Accuracy Procedure. Scientific Annals of the Psychology Society of Northern Greece, 7, 00-30. Futris, T. G., Van Epp, M., Van Epp, J., & Campbell, K. (2008). The impact of a relationship educational program on single army soldiers. Journal of Family and Consumer Science Research, 36, 328-349. Campbell, K., & Ponzetti, J. J. (2007). The moderating effects of rituals on commitment in premarital involvements. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 22, 1-14. Wright, D. W., Simmons, L., & Campbell, K. (2007). Does a marriage ideal exist? Using Q-Sort methodology to compare young adults’ and therapists’ views on healthy marriages. Contemporary Family Therapy, 29, 223-236. Research in the Media A variety of media outlets have featured Dr campbell’s research including an NBC affiliate television station (KVOA), CBS radio, TMZ radio, Men’s Health and Women’s Health magazines, Cosmopolitan magazine, SELF magazine, and Inland Empire magazine.

NO COMMENTS

LEAVE A REPLY