Where Did You Go? The Psychological and Physiological Consequences of Ghosting in Romantic Relationships

Understanding the prevalence of breakups and the manner in which they occur can provide valuable insights into the dynamics of romantic relationships. The manner in which people choose to end relationships has evolved, with a growing number opting for a phenomenon known as ghosting, which is a dissolution strategy in which one partner abruptly ceases all communication to terminate the relationship. The goal of this study is to investigate the psychological and physiological consequences of ghosting. Data comes from two studies: one examining the psychological consequences of ghosting (N = 30) and another examining the physiological consequences of ghosting (N = 40). Results of study 1 revealed that participants reported significantly higher anxiety and lower self-esteem as a result of the ghosting experiment. Results of study 2 revealed that heart rate significantly decreased after the ghosting experiment while blood pressure increased. Additionally, compared to the control group, those who were ghosted reported higher heart rate and higher blood pressure, but no differences in cortisol. Preliminary data suggests that ghosting hinders psychological and physiological wellbeing. Additional implications are discussed.