The reciprocal effects of social network site use and the disposition for self-disclosure: A longitudinal study

Since the advent of social network sites (SNSs), scholars have critically discussed the psychological and societal implication of online self-disclosure. Does Facebook change our willingness to disclose personal information? The present study proposes that the use of SNSs and the psychological disposition for self-disclosure interact reciprocally: Individuals with a stronger disposition show a higher tendency to use SNSs (selection effect). At the same time, frequent SNS use increases the wish to self-disclose online, because self-disclosing behaviors are reinforced through social capital within the SNS environment (socialization effect). In a longitudinal panel study, 488 users of SNSs were surveyed twice in a 6 months interval. Data were analyzed using structure equation modeling. The proposed reciprocal effects of SNS activities and self-disclosure were supported by the data: The disposition for online self-disclosure had a positive longitudinal effect on SNS use which in turn positively influenced the disposition for online self-disclosure. Both effects were moderated by the amount of social capital users received as a consequence of their SNS use.     

What's Her Face(book)? How many of their Facebook “friends” can college students actually identify?

An online game, titled What's Her Face(book), was created and students from an Ivy League campus (as well as adults from the general population) were invited to play as many times as they wished. Each game lasted around 90 s during which individual friends were randomly selected from the participant's Facebook page and their profile photo displayed alongside up to four additional tagged photos. The participant was prompted to either type in the friend's first name, last name or both names with single names allowing a Levenshtein distance of one letter and both names allowing a distance of up to three letters for accuracy (Levenshtein, 1966). Following a game, participants were shown the photos and names for those they correctly and incorrectly identified. More than 4000 participants played the game, with an aggregate 174,615 opportunities to name their Facebook friends. Playing the game an average (median) of 4 times, participants were able to name only 72.7% of their friends, with male participants naming male friends more accurately than their female friends and female participants naming their female friends more accurately than their male friends. Although playing the game more times resulted in higher accuracy, perhaps from correcting previous mistakes, the benefit was minimal with those in the top quartile of games played garnering only an additional 2% in accuracy on average. Results were discussed in terms of social capital theory alongside issues of privacy and security on social media sites.     

The action of looking at a mobile phone display as nonverbal behavior/communication: A theoretical perspective

This study investigates the now-common action of looking at a mobile phone display, thereby offering insight into the present communication situation in an era in which the use of high-performance mobile phones has become ubiquitous. In this study, the action of looking at a mobile phone display is considered nonverbal behavior/communication. This study applies a basic, general model to elucidate the present situation of face-to-face communication in light of the increasing prevalence of social interaction via mobile phone use. The results derived from the model include mobile phone users’ increasing social power and an accumulation of potential discontent in relation to different interpretations. This study concludes that in an era of high-performance mobile phones, the social context in face-to-face communication can be influenced by the act of looking at a mobile phone display.     

Beyond Facebook: The generalization of social networking site measures

PurposePrevious research on social networking sites (SNSs) suggests several factors that contribute to SNS use. However, the factors were specific to a particular website. We wished to know if similar factors could predict the use of a new SNS in terms of usefulness and satisfaction with the goal of creating factors that would generalize across SNSs.ResultsParticipants reported their SNS Diet and performed five tasks using a new SNS. Then, participants reported which of the five tasks was most frustrating. Participants also reported if the usefulness of the SNS would affect their future use of the site. Participants with a high SNS Diet used SNSs once a day or more. The SNS Diet was predictive of a participant’s satisfaction rating and a participant’s perception of usefulness.ConclusionThe differences suggest that different groups of social networking users will respond differently based on their SNS Diet. This study finds support for both the Rational Actor Perspective and the Web Acceptance Model. We outline a new continuous measure of SNS use which generalizes across different social networks.     

Facebook and political engagement: A study of online political group membership and offline political engagement

In what ways do online groups help to foster political engagement among citizens? We employ a multi-method design incorporating content analysis of online political group pages and original survey research of university undergraduates (n = 455) to assess the relationship between online political group membership and political engagement—measured through political knowledge and political participation surrounding the 2008 election. We find that participation in online political groups is strongly correlated with offline political participation, as a potential function of engaging members online. However, we fail to confirm that there is a corresponding positive relationship between participation in online political groups and political knowledge, likely due to low quality online group discussion.     

The promise,reality and dilemmas of secondary school teacher–student interactions in Facebook: The teacher perspective

We report on a multi-method study that seeks to explore if, how and why secondary teachers use Facebook (FB) to interact with their students. Issues of privacy, authority, and even abuse have fueled socio-political debates on the desirability of teacher–student FB contact, leading some authorities to curtail or even prohibit such contact. Proponents of harnessing Web 2.0 and Social media technology for learning purposes, on the other hand, have emphasized the many potential advantages for formal and informal learning. However, there is little empirical research on the scope, the nature and the purposes for secondary school teacher–student contact through social network sites. The present study makes a first step in this direction, by triangulating teacher survey data (N = 187) with in-depth teacher interviews (N = 11). Findings from both data sets show that teacher–student FB contact comes in different forms and serves a range of purposes, which fall into three main categories: Academic-instructional, psycho-pedagogical and social-relational. Advantages, dilemmas and limitations of FB contact with secondary school students are identified.     

Going Private in Public: A study on shift in behavioral trend using Facebook

The growth of social media has open a new dimension of research in the domain of human Psychology. The data generated by virtue of various available social media platforms is enormous, dynamic, unstructured, imprecise and most of the time uncertain. Facebook has emerged as one of the most successful media of social interaction and thus, contributing a lot to understand various aspects of human behavior. In this paper, a specific and crucial aspect of human nature is being explored- “Going Private in Public”. This aspect deals with some unexploited trend of human psychology and the research work presented in this paper is planned such as to investigate the data that eventually helps to understand this aspect to a great extent. A questionnaire to capture some behavioral trends of Facebook user was designed and filled up using both online and offline mode. The questionnaire included sets of non-identifying demographic questions, Facebook Intensity scale, Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adult, Perceived Stress Scale and NEO-PI-R model. Filling of the forms was made voluntarily and anonymously to avoid any biasing. A total of 312 responses were received and analyzed using Independent-Sample t-test, Cronbach's alpha test, Exploratory factor analysis, and MANOVA etc.     

A videosharing social networking intervention for young adult cancer survivors

Clinicians interested in taking a proactive approach to healthy cancer survivorship might consider the use of a social networking and videosharing platform tailored specifically for young adult cancer survivors. This study examines six key factors that may influence a childhood cancer survivor’s participation in a social networking and videosharing intervention program tailored to their needs: (1) the individual’s social capital, defined as resources accessed by individuals through a broad range of social connections, (2) social support, (3) family interaction, (4) self-efficacy, (5) depression, and (6) self-reported quality of life. Fourteen healthy childhood cancer survivors participated in a social networking and videosharing intervention program, LIFECommunity, over a period of 6 months. Young adult cancer survivors with weak “bonding” social capital with other cancer survivors, little social support from friends and family, and lower family interaction participated in the social networking intervention more than those with stronger social capital and larger bases of support. The findings suggest that cancer survivors used the social network as a way to fulfill needs that were not being met in their “offline” lives. The study provides a deeper understanding of the factors that contribute to the success of social networking interventions for young cancer survivors.     

Self-disclosure and student satisfaction with Facebook

The purpose of the current study was to extend existing research examining the specific motives for creating and maintaining Facebook, and to connect these motives to users’ levels of self-disclosure and satisfaction with Facebook. Undergraduate students identified their reasons for using Facebook, privacy and self-disclosure settings, and satisfaction with Facebook’s ability to meet these motivational needs. Results indicated that the most common motives for using Facebook were relationship maintenance, passing time, and entertainment, although gender differences in motives for creating a Facebook page were observed. Males and females also differed in the overall level of self-disclosure as well as the type of information presented on their Facebook pages. Levels of self-disclosure, but not privacy levels, were associated with greater levels of satisfaction with Facebook to meet certain motivational goals.     

How do people compare themselves with others on social network sites?: The case of Facebook

The social comparison theory and its subsequent studies say that comparing with others can influence an individual in several ways (e.g., evaluation of oneself, influence on self-esteem/self-confidence, and efficient decision making) and people compare with others when they are confronted with information of others. With the popularity of social network sites, many people acquire or are exposed to information of others on social network sites, which implies that people are likely to frequently engage in social comparison behavior on social network sites. The present paper examines social comparison behavior on social network sites (especially on Facebook) using a college students sample. We find that an individual’s personality characteristics (i.e., social comparison orientation, self-esteem, self-uncertainty, and self-consciousness) influence the person’s social comparison frequency on Facebook. A positive relationship between Facebook use intensity and social comparison frequency on Facebook is found. In addition, we find a positive association between social comparison frequency on Facebook and the frequency of having a negative feeling from comparison. Other findings are also reported in the paper.     

A model of the relationship between psychological characteristics,mobile phone addiction and use of mobile phones by Taiwanese university female students

While many researches have analyzed the psychological antecedents of mobile phone addiction and mobile phone usage behavior, their relationship with psychological characteristics remains mixed. We investigated the relationship between psychological characteristics, mobile phone addiction and use of mobile phones for 269 Taiwanese female university students who were administered Rosenberg’s self-esteem scale, Lai’s personality inventory, and a mobile phone usage questionnaire and mobile phone addiction scale. The result showing that: (1) social extraversion and anxiety have positive effects on mobile phone addiction, and self-esteem has negative effects on mobile phone addiction. (2) Mobile phone addiction has a positive predictive effect on mobile phone usage behavior. The results of this study identify personal psychological characteristics of Taiwanese female university students which can significantly predict mobile phone addiction; female university students with mobile phone addiction will make more phone calls and send more text messages. These results are discussed and suggestions for future research for school and university students are provided.     

Already up? using mobile phones to track & share sleep behavior

Users share a lot of personal information with friends, family members, and colleagues via social networks. Surprisingly, some users choose to share their sleeping patterns, perhaps both for awareness as well as a sense of connection to others. Indeed, sharing basic sleep data, whether a person has gone to bed or waking up, informs others about not just one's sleeping routines but also indicates physical state, and reflects a sense of wellness. We present Somnometer, a social alarm clock for mobile phones that helps users to capture and share their sleep patterns. While the sleep rating is obtained from explicit user input, the sleep duration is estimated based on monitoring a user's interactions with the app. Observing that many individuals currently utilize their mobile phone as an alarm clock revealed behavioral patterns that we were able to leverage when designing the app. We assess whether it is possible to reliably monitor one's sleep duration using such apps. We further investigate whether providing users with the ability to track their sleep behavior over a long time period can empower them to engage in healthier sleep habits. We hypothesize that sharing sleep information with social networks impacts awareness and connectedness among friends. The result from a controlled study reveals that it is feasible to monitor a user's sleep duration based just on her interactions with an alarm clock app on the mobile phone. The results from both an in-the-wild study and a controlled experiment suggest that providing a way for users to track their sleep behaviors increased user awareness of sleep patterns and induced healthier habits. However, we also found that, given the current broadcast nature of existing social networks, users were concerned with sharing their sleep patterns indiscriminately.     

From smartphones to iPad: Power users’ disposition toward mobile media devices

The spread of mobile media devices (MMDs), such as smartphones and tablet computers, has been markedly rapid around the world in recent years. The diffusion of mobile media technology has turned some early adopters into “power users,” using MMD more innovatively, efficiently and thoroughly than others. Going beyond the research of innovative users and heavy users, this study proposes the concept of power users by investigating the interactions between the power use of MMD and personality attributes, online activities as well as traditional media use. The findings showed that personality attributes were strong predictors for power use, which was also partially predicated by media multitasking and traditional media use. Research in this stream should assist in understanding the diffusion of mobile media technology and its impact on human interaction.     

When it comes to Facebook there may be more to bad memory than just multitasking

Previous research has shown that high levels of Facebook use are associated with lower grades in college students. Divided attention in the form of trying to use Facebook during class or while studying has been suggested as a possible explanation for this finding. In the current study, 44 participants were divided into high and low Facebook users and completed a memory test for 72 words. Participants were not allowed to use Facebook, or any other electronic device, during the study thereby eliminating divided attention between Facebook and the task at hand as a possible explanation for the results. High Facebook users (defined as spending more than one hour a day on Facebook) scored significantly lower on the free recall test than low Facebook users. Possible explanations for this finding are discussed.