Turkish Adaptation of the Ghosting Questionnaire and Its Impact on Relationship Satisfaction: Serial Mediation Effects of Negative Affect and Loneliness

• Mehmet Özalp ^[1] ; Waqar Husain ^[6] ; Kamile Gamze Yaman ^[2] ; Achraf Ammar ^[7] ; Khaled Trabelsi ^[3] ; Seithikurippu R. Pandi-Perumal ^[4] ; Haitham Jahrami ^[5]
  1. [1] National Defense University

     National Defense University

     Estados Unidos

     
  2. [2] Marmara University

     Marmara University

     Turquía

     
  3. [3] University of Sfax

     University of Sfax

     Túnez

     
  4. [4] Chandigarh University

     Chandigarh University

     India

     
  5. [5] Arabian Gulf University

     Arabian Gulf University

     Baréin

     
  6. [6] COMSATS University Islamabad
  7. [7] Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz

  Mostrar afiliaciones +
• Localización: EJIHPE: European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, ISSN 2174-8144, ISSN-e 2254-9625, Vol. 15, Nº. 5, 2025, págs. 71-71
• Idioma: inglés
• DOI: 10.3390/ejihpe15050071
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo
• Resumen

  • Background: Ghosting is a prevalent phenomenon in contemporary relationships, impacting all individuals involved. A measurement tool, the Ghosting Questionnaire, has recently been developed to assess experiences of ghosting. The objective of this study was to adapt the Ghosting Questionnaire for use in Turkish. Methods: The adaptation process involved applying confirmatory factor analysis, measurement invariance analysis by gender, and item response theory, as well as reliability, criterion-related validity, and predictive validity analyses. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis affirmed the unidimensional, eight-item structure of the Ghosting Questionnaire. Measurement invariance analysis by gender indicated that the scale assesses the same constructs for both males and females. The results from the item response theory analysis demonstrated that the Ghosting Questionnaire possesses robust discriminatory power. Reliability coefficients indicated a high level of internal consistency for the scale. Additionally, ghosting was found to have significant correlations with various variables, including personality traits, positive affect, negative affect, loneliness, and relationship satisfaction. Notably, our findings revealed that negative affect and loneliness serve as serial mediators in the relationship between ghosting and relationship satisfaction. Conclusions: The analyses confirm that the Ghosting Questionnaire is a measurement tool with strong psychometric properties.

• Referencias bibliográficas
  • Akaike, H. (1987). Factor analysis and AIC. Psychometrika, 52(3), 317–332.
  • Anderson, J. C., & Gerbing, D. W. (1988). Structural equation modeling in practice: A review and recommended two-step approach. Psychological...
  • Atak, H. (2013). On-maddeli Kişilik Ölçeği’nin Türk Kültürü’ne uyarlanmasi. Nöro Psikiyatri Arşivi, 50(4), 312–319.
  • Baker, F. B. (2001). The basics of item response theory (2nd ed.). ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation.
  • Bandalos, D. L. (2002). The effects of item parceling on goodness-of-fit and parameter estimate bias in structural equation modeling. Structural...
  • Biolcati, R., Pupi, V., & Mancini, G. (2022). Cyber dating abuse and ghosting behaviours: Personality and gender roles in romantic relationships....
  • Brislin, R. W. (1970). Back-translation for cross-cultural research. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 1(3), 185–216.
  • Brislin, R. W. (1980). Cross-cultural research methods. In Environment and culture (pp. 47–82). Springer.
  • Browne, M. W., & Cudeck, R. (1992). Alternative ways of assessing model fit. Sociological Methods & Research, 21(2), 230–258.
  • Campaioli, G., Testoni, I., & Zamperini, A. (2022). Double blue ticks: Reframing ghosting as ostracism through an abductive study on affordances....
  • Cheung, G. W., & Rensvold, R. B. (2002). Evaluating goodness-of-fit indexes for testing measurement invariance. Structural Equation Modeling:...
  • Collins, T. J., Thomas, A., & Harris, E. (2023). Unwanted and unfollowed: Defining ghosting and the role of social media unfollowing....
  • Çelik, E. (2014). Adaptation of relationship assessment scale to turkish culture: Study of validity and reliability. International Journal...
  • Daraj, L. R., Buhejji, M. R., Perlmutter, G., Jahrami, H., & Seeman, M. V. (2023). Ghosting: Abandonment in the digital era. Encyclopedia,...
  • Ding, J., Sun, W., Liu, J., & Chao, M. (2024). Being ghosted online and non-suicidal self-injury among adolescents: The role of social...
  • Doğan, T., Çötok, N. A., & Tekin, E. G. (2011). Reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the UCLA loneliness scale (ULS-8) among...
  • Farber, B. A., Hubbard, E., & Ort, D. (2022). Patients’ experiences of being “ghosted” by their psychotherapists. Psychotherapy, 59(4),...
  • Forrai, M., Koban, K., & Matthes, J. (2023). Short-sighted ghosts. Psychological antecedents and consequences of ghosting others within...
  • Freedman, G., Hales, A. H., Powell, D. N., Le, B., & Williams, K. D. (2022). The role of gender and safety concerns in romantic rejection...
  • Freedman, G., & Powell, D. N. (2024). Ghosting: A common but unpopular rejection strategy. Social and Personality Psychology Compass,...
  • Freedman, G., Powell, D. N., Le, B., & Williams, K. D. (2024). Emotional experiences of ghosting. The Journal of Social Psychology, 164(3),...
  • Gangemi, A., Dahò, M., & Mancini, F. (2021). Emotional reasoning and psychopathology. Brain Sciences, 11(4), 471.
  • Gençöz, T. (2000). Pozitif ve negatif duygu ölçeği: Geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması. Türk Psikoloji Dergisi, 15(46), 19–28.
  • Gosling, S. D., Rentfrow, P. J., & Swann, W. B. (2003). A very brief measure of the Big-Five personality domains. Journal of Research...
  • Hays, R., & DiMatteo, M. R. (1987). A short-form measure of loneliness. Journal of Personality Assessment, 51(1), 69–81.
  • Husain, W., Sadiqa, A., Zahid, E., Idrees, F., Ammar, A., Saif, Z., Trabelsi, K., Pandi-Perumal, S. R., Seeman, M. V., & Jahrami, H. (2024a)....
  • Husain, W., Salem, A. A. M. S., Ammar, A., Trabelsi, K., Ghazzawi, H., Saif, Z., Helmy, M., Pandi-Perumal, S. R., Seeman, M. V., Pakpour,...
  • Jahrami, H., Saif, Z., Chen, W., Helmy, M., Ghazzawi, H., Trabelsi, K., Natan Pires, G., Bragazzi, N. L., Pandi-Perumal, S. R., & Seeman,...
  • Jonason, P. K., Kaźmierczak, I., Campos, A. C., & Davis, M. D. (2021). Leaving without a word: Ghosting and the Dark triad traits. Acta...
  • Kay, C., & Courtice, E. L. (2022). An empirical, accessible definition of “ghosting” as a relationship dissolution method. Personal Relationships,...
  • Kline, R. B. (2023). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (5th ed.). Guilford Press.
  • Koessler, R. B., Kohut, T., & Campbell, L. (2019). When your boo becomes a ghost: The association between breakup strategy and breakup...
  • Konings, F., Sumter, S., & Vandenbosch, L. (2023). It’s not you, it’s me: Experiences with ghosting on mobile dating applications and...
  • LeFebvre, L. E., Allen, M., Rasner, R. D., Garstad, S., Wilms, A., & Parrish, C. (2019). Ghosting in emerging adults’ romantic relationships:...
  • LeFebvre, L. E., & Fan, X. (2020). Ghosted?: Navigating strategies for reducing uncertainty and implications surrounding ambiguous loss....
  • Little, T. D. (1997). Mean and covariance structures (MACS) analyses of cross-cultural data: Practical and theoretical issues. Multivariate...
  • Meikle, G. (2024). Social media: The convergence of public and personal communication (2nd ed.). Routledge.
  • Nasser-Abu Alhija, F., & Wisenbaker, J. (2006). A monte carlo study investigating the impact of item parceling strategies on parameter...
  • Navarro, R., Larrañaga, E., Yubero, S., & Víllora, B. (2020). Psychological correlates of ghosting and breadcrumbing experiences: A preliminary...
  • Navarro, R., Larrañaga, E., Yubero, S., & Víllora, B. (2021). Individual, interpersonal and relationship factors associated with ghosting...
  • Pancani, L., Aureli, N., & Riva, P. (2022). Relationship dissolution strategies: Comparing the psychological consequences of ghosting,...
  • Pham, Q. D., & Pecherkina, A. A. (2024). How ghosting and stress impact vulnerable narcissism and maladaptive daydreaming: The role of...
  • Powell, D. N., Freedman, G., Williams, K. D., Le, B., & Green, H. (2021). A multi-study examination of attachment and implicit theories...
  • Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2008). Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple...
  • Punyanunt-Carter, N. M., Wrench, J. S., Arias, V. S., Bassick, M., Bevan, J. L., Blackburn, K. G., Blackwell, D. R., Bostwick, E., Brody,...
  • Renshaw, K. D., McKnight, P., Caska, C. M., & Blais, R. K. (2011). The utility of the relationship assessment scale in multiple types...
  • Rojas Amaya, M. Y. (2025). Evidencias psicométricas de la escala ghosting Romántico en adultos. Revista InveCom, 5(4), 1–10.
  • Thomas, J. O., & Dubar, R. T. (2021). Disappearing in the age of hypervisibility: Definition, context, and perceived psychological consequences...
  • Timmermans, E., Hermans, A.-M., & Opree, S. J. (2021). Gone with the wind: Exploring mobile daters’ ghosting experiences. Journal of Social...
  • Watson, D., Anna, L., & Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales....
  • Wood, N. R., Leckfor, C. M., Wicks, S. G., & Hales, A. H. (2023). Ghosting from the workplace: The impact of feedback (or lack thereof)...
  • Wu, K., & Bamishigbin, O. (2023). When silence speaks louder than words: Exploring the experiences and attitudes of ghosters. Personal...
  • Wu, K., & Bamishigbin, O. (2024). Ignorance is not always bliss: A qualitative study of young adults’ experiences with being ghosted....
  • Yap, M. A., Francisco, A. M., & Gopez, C. (2021). From best friends to silent ends: Exploring the concepts of ghosting in non-Romantic...