Extent of private information disclosure on online social networks: An exploration of Facebook mobile phone users

The present study adopts the Communication Privacy Management theory and investigates the factors that influence the extent of private information disclosure of Facebook mobile phone users. Using a sample size of 488 adult mobile phone users, the study further investigates the differential impact of age on the extent of private information disclosure. Results from the logistic regressions run reveal that use of smartphones to access social networking sites, use of multiple social networks, and being female decrease the likelihood of private information disclosure. In addition, usability problems increase the likelihood of information disclosure by older adults. The analyses show no association between perceived benefit and private information disclosure.     

Delineating the dimensions of social support on social networking sites and their effects: A comparative model

Social networking sites (SNSs) allow users to connect with each other by overcoming geographical and temporal boundaries and thus empower people to search for social support from online. Social support has been considered a key social value that online users can obtain from SNSs. However, few studies have systematically investigated social support in such a context. Motivated to address this gap, we have developed an advanced and theoretical framework to delineate social support on SNSs by clearly revealing the dimensions of online social support on SNSs and examining their effects on users' commitment and SNS continuance. Further, we introduce gender as a key moderator and explain in theory how differently men and women perceive the importance of the dimensions in evaluating online social support over SNSs. Our research results indicate that the identified three dimensions (informational support, emotional support, and network management) are important components of the online social support on SNSs, which is positively associated with commitment and continuance. In addition, the weight of each dimension in the evaluation of online social support varies by gender. This study is among the very first to explore online social support in the context of SNS and its effects, and has rich theoretical and practical implications.     

Social interaction in online support groups: Preference for online social interaction over offline social interaction

The purpose of the current study was to identify potential factors leading to preference for social interaction in online support groups (OSGs) over offline interaction. By identifying such factors, the current study advances understanding of the way patients use the Internet as a supportive resource and integrate support from offline and online relationships. An online survey was conducted with current users of health-related OSGs (N = 158). Findings show that those who were dissatisfied with the support they received from their current offline contacts were more likely to prefer social interaction in OSGs. Such a preference was prominent among those who built deeper social relationships in OSGs. Results suggest that some people develop a preference for social interaction in OSGs over offline interaction and use computer-mediated relationships as a possible alternative to offline support networks. Healthcare professionals and users as well as designers of OSGs must acknowledge the limits of online support and caution against the possibility of developing excessive reliance on online support resources.     

The role of social interaction on users motivation to exercise: A persuasive web framework to enhance the self-management of a healthy lifestyle

The current research guidelines of the European community suggest the importance of the development of systems that help users manage their health themselves. The increasing amount of communication technologies and devices from which users can access information, and the possibility to interact through social media channels, play an important role in this scenario. Based on these considerations, in this paper we present an innovative persuasive web application, designed both to exploit social networking sites and to cooperate with a mobile application that already operates in the e-health and motivational domains. In particular, the innovative aspects introduced by the web application are the possibility to access also from a web browser some features previously available only through a mobile application and a more direct and user-friendly integration of social network sites. Indeed, thanks to an extensive interaction with the Facebook social network, users are allowed to share their experience with the application. This generates a strong social influence effect, which inspires and motivates other users to improve their exercising activity. Experimental results put in evidence that our web application, also thanks to social interactions, is favoring an enhancement of users’ motivation to a more active lifestyle. This is mainly due to its capability to have an impact on the other users thanks to the posts generated on the Facebook social network.     

Facebooking for health: An examination into the solicitation and effects of health-related social support on social networking sites

The current study investigates people’s use of social networking sites for health purposes and its impact on their perception of social support and their health self-efficacy. A structural model was fitted to test hypothesized relationships between having a health concern, seeking online health information, seeking health-related social support on Facebook, perceived social support from Facebook friends, and health-related self-efficacy. The study also looks at the relative significance of social support dimensions including: emotional, informational, tangible, and esteem dimensions. An analysis of 291 respondents revealed a positive relationship between having health concerns and seeking health-related social support. Seeking support was significantly associated with all four social support dimensions. Among the four support dimensions, emotional support was the only significant predictor of health self-efficacy. Also, emotional support was the dimension that was most prevalent in Facebook contexts. Health information seeking was also positively associated with health self-efficacy but was not significantly related to having a health concern.     

The role of self-construal in consumers’ electronic word of mouth (eWOM) in social networking sites: A social cognitive approach

The current study reconceptualized self-construal as a social cognitive indicator of self-observation that individuals employ for developing and maintaining social relationship with others. From the social cognitive perspective, this study investigated how consumers’ self-construal can affect consumers’ electronic word of mouth (eWOM) behavior through two cognitive factors (online community engagement self-efficacy and social outcome expectations) in the context of a social networking site. This study conducted an online experiment that directed 160 participants to visit a newly created online community. The results demonstrated that consumers’ relational view became salient when the consumers’ self-construal was primed to be interdependent rather than independent. Further, the results showed that such interdependent self-construal positively influenced consumers’ eWOM behavioral intentions through their community engagement self-efficacy and their social outcome expectations.     

A simplistic model for identifying prominent web users in directed multiplex social networks: a case study using Twitter networks

This paper aims to describe a new simplistic model dedicated to gauge the online influence of Twitter users based on a mixture of structural and interactional features. The model is an additive mathematical formulation which involves two main parts. The first part serves to measure the influence of the Twitter user on just his neighbourhood covering his followers. However, the second part evaluates the potential influence of the Twitter user beyond the circle of his followers. Particularly, it measures the likelihood that the tweets of the Twitter user will spread further within the social graph through the retweeting process. The model is tested on a data set involving four kinds of real-world egocentric networks. The empirical results reveal that an active ordinary user is more prominent than a non-active celebrity one. A simple comparison is conducted between the proposed model and two existing simplistic approaches. The results show that our model generates the most realistic influence scores due to its dealing with both explicit (structural and interactional) and implicit features.     

Exploring interactive style and user experience design for social web of things of Chinese users: A case study in Beijing

This study designed an interactive IoT (Internet of Things) service on mobile devices based upon the concept of Social Web of Things (SWoT), with which users can interact with IoT in the same way they use the social network services. In order to integrate IoT into Chinese daily use, this study also investigated how Chinese users interact with things and IoT technologies. A four-phase study among users living in Beijing was conducted with a lifecycle of user-centered design. Results revealed that SWoT could activate users׳ intuitive understanding of social network services, and make the interaction with SWoT natural in their own ways. Users living in Beijing tended to be utility-oriented and highly emphasized efficiency; they were distinctive in uncertainty avoidance and preference of hierarchical way of managing things. Our results suggested implications for the design of user-centered IoT systems in China, and shed light on improvements for the performance of IoT systems and balance of requirements between users and system design.     

Dual effects of social support seeking in patient-centric online healthcare communities: A longitudinal study

This study investigates exploratory and purposeful social support-seeking behaviors in the patient-centric online healthcare community (POHC). The antecedents and varying effects of the two behaviors on uncertainties in diagnosis and treatment are examined. Two rounds of field surveys are conducted among users in three POHCs. Findings indicate that exploratory and purposeful social support-seeking behaviors exert varying effects on the change in uncertainty in illness and are influenced differently by the perceived information credibility of users, their identification with a community, and the perceived severity of their illness.     

Retaining and attracting users in social networking services: An empirical investigation of cyber migration

Users are the most critical strategic resource of any online social networking service (SNS). This paper offers strategic recommendations for SNS providers based on an empirical study exploring why users switch from a primary SNS to others. We first identify important characteristics that combine to distinguish SNSs from conventional information systems, then develop a “cyber migration” research model that includes push, pull and mooring factors which influence user intention to switch from one SNS to another. Findings from a field survey of 180 users reveal four significant factors that promote switching: dissatisfaction with socialization support, dissatisfaction with entertainment value, continuity cost, and peer influence. Strategies grounded in these factors are suggested for SNS providers to better attract and retain users.     

Internet anxiety: An empirical study of the effects of personality,beliefs, and social support

We examined sources of Internet anxiety; specifically modeling the ties from broad dispositional traits (computer anxiety, computer self-efficacy, and personal innovativeness with IT), beliefs about the work environment (about the adequacy of resources and trust in technology), and two forms of social support for IT (leader and peer support) to individuals’ anxiety about using Internet applications. We tested our model using respondents who participated in virtual teams during a 16-week period. Our findings suggested that Internet anxiety was affected both by the users’ personality and by beliefs that can be influenced by providing adequate resources to support the technology, encourage trust in technology, and working to assure users that leaders and peers are supportive of their using the technology. Our findings suggest that by providing appropriate resources and fostering a supportive environment, leaders could reduce Internet anxiety and thus influence the use of technology in the workplace in ways that benefit organizations.     

A social scientific framework for social systems in online video games: Building a better looking for raid loot system in World of Warcraft

This paper examines social behavior in the online video game World of Warcraft. Specifically focusing on one element of social design: the behavior of players in the first release of Looking-for-Raid (LFR) loot system of World of Warcraft. It uses lens of economic game theory, combined with Williams (2010) mapping principle and a modern theoretical account of human decision-making, to explore how theory about individual interactions in well-defined contexts (games) can explain collective behavior. It provides some support for this theoretical approach with an examination of data collected as part of an ethnographic study, through focus groups, and a survey distributed to 333 World of Warcraft players. It concludes with a discussion of the results and some guidelines for predicting collective outcomes in certain types of online games using the introduced framework.     

Designing motivational agents: The role of praise, social comparison, and embodiment in computer feedback

The present study draws on theories of attribution, social comparison, and social facilitation to investigate how computers might use principles of motivation and persuasion to provide user feedback. In an online experiment, 192 participants performed a speed-reading task. The independent variables included whether or not the verbal feedback from the computer involved praise, whether the objective feedback showed that the participants were performing better or worse from their peers, and whether or not the feedback was presented by an on-screen agent. The main dependent variables included a subjective measure of participants’ intrinsic motivation and an objective measure of their task persistence. Results showed that providing participants with praise or comparative information on others’ performance improved intrinsic motivation. When praised, participants whose performances were comparatively low persisted in the task longer than those whose performances were comparatively high did. Additionally, the mere presence of an embodied agent on the screen increased participants’ motivation. Together, these results indicate that praise and social comparison can serve as effective forms of motivational feedback and that humanlike embodiment further improves user motivation.     

Self-efficacy as the moderator: Exploring driving factors of perceived social support for mainland Chinese students in Taiwan

More and more mainland Chinese college students study in Taiwan. Social support is one of the main factors helping them study and live happily in Taiwan. This study aims to investigate the relationships among self-efficacy, social identity, and perceived social support through online social networks in helping mainland Chinese college students improve their adaption ability of diversified campuses in Taiwan. We assume social identity affects positively perceived social support, and self-efficacy served as a moderator of the relationships between social identify and social support. A convenience sample of 366 mainland Chinese students from five universities in Taiwan was conducted to validate the hypotheses. The results revealed that affective and cognitive identification were significantly and positively related to perceived emotional, tangible and informational support. The moderator, self-efficacy, was shown to moderate the three relationships from affective identification to emotional, tangible and informational support. Also, it moderated the relationships from cognitive identification to tangible support, but not the relationships from cognitive identification to emotional and informational support. The suggestions for Taiwanese host universities to lighten the stress of study adaptation of mainland Chinese college students are provided.     

Cultural difference in motivations for using social network sites: A comparative study of American and Korean college students

While the explosive growth of social network sites is a common phenomenon across many countries, the ways people use them and their reasons for doing so may differ depending on their social and cultural milieu, for fundamental values are divergent from culture to culture. This study is an attempt to examine how cultural contexts shape the use of communication technology by examining the motives for and patterns of using social network sites among college students in the US and Korea. The findings of this study suggest that the major motives for using social network sites - seeking friends, social support, entertainment, information, and convenience - are similar between the two countries, though the weights placed on these motives are different. Reflecting the unique social nature of the medium, Korean college students put more weight on obtaining social support from existing social relationships, while American students place relatively greater emphasis on seeking entertainment. Additionally, American college students’ networks in an online social venue are far larger than their Korean counterparts, which may reflect the cultural difference between the two countries regarding developing and managing social relationships.     

Exploring the Suitability of Virtual Environments for Safety Training: Signals, Norms and Ambiguity in a Simulated Emergency Escape

This study aims at exploring the suitability of virtual environments for safety training in large public spaces. A virtual library was constructed which simulated many of the physical and normative characteristics of the ‘real’ university library which was the target of the virtual safety training project. In the virtual library, two different types of signals (fixed red signs vs. moving green arrows) for guiding people to the emergency exits were presented, and their efficacy on escape times was tested in three different conditions, differing with respect to the distance of participants from the escape exits (measured according to the number of corners separating participants from direct visual discovery of the emergency exit). No significant differences between the different kinds of signals were found, whereas surprising discrepancies among the three conditions appeared. The differences in performance in the three conditions were contingent upon the presence in the virtual library of peculiar environmental features embodying social norms – like a red ribbon indicating no transit. Uncertainty about the sense of such normative features in the context of the simulated emergency made some participants prone to peculiar knowledge-based errors consisting of inadequate sense-making of the normative aspects of the ongoing situation. This kind of error shows that the simulation succeeded in capturing one of the crucial characteristics of ‘real’ social context: ambiguity, which mostly depends on the fact that the social norms structuring public spaces and defining their legitimate uses are often ill defined and context dependent. Every valid experience in safety training requires coping with ambiguity in situations.