College students’ academic motivation,media engagement and fear of missing out

The concerns about the consequences of mental problems related to use of social media among university students have recently raised consciousness about a relatively new phenomenon termed Fear of Missing Out (FoMO). Drawing on the self-determination theory and on the assumption that low levels of basic need satisfaction may relate to FoMO and social media engagement, the aim of the present research was to examine for the first time possible links between FoMO, social media engagement, and three motivational constructs: Intrinsic, extrinsic and amotivation for learning. Data were gathered from 296 undergraduate students by using the following scales: Social Media Engagement (SME), Fear of Missing Out (FoMOs) and Academic Motivation. The SME is a new scale, specifically designed for this study to measure the extent to which students used social media in the classroom. This scale includes three categories: Social engagement, news information engagement and commercial information engagement. Path analysis results indicated that the positive links between social media engagement and two motivational factors: Extrinsic and amotivation for learning are more likely to be mediated by FoMO. Interpretation of these results, their congruence within the context of the theoretical frameworks and practical implications are discussed.     

Using multidimensional scaling and PLS-SEM to assess the relationships between personality traits,problematic internet use,and fear of missing out

ABSTRACT

Informed by the Compensatory Internet Use theory, this study was aimed at revealing possible links between adults’ personality traits, Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), and Problematic Internet Use (PIU). Given the exploratory nature of this study, two statistical techniques were used: Smallest Space Analysis (SSA, a variant of multidimensional scaling), and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Data were gathered from 359 adults, by three questionnaires: Fear of Missing Out scale (FoMOs), Short Problematic Internet Use Test (SPIUT), and the Big Five personality trait questionnaire. The SSA results yielded a radex projection. The projection has confirmed the five-factorial theoretical structure of the Big Five personality traits. In the SSA projection, the PIU was found in the extraversion area, the FoMO in the neuroticism area, and both PIU and FoMO factors were in close proximity to each other. Based on the SSA map and the theoretical framework, PLS-SEM was deployed to discover possible links between the research factors. According to the results, the FoMO variable had a mediating role, linking neuroticism to PIU. Limitations, conclusions, and directions for further research are discussed.     

“I don’t want to miss a thing”: Adolescents’ fear of missing out and its relationship to adolescents’ social needs,Facebook use,and Facebook related stress

This survey study among adolescents (N = 402) investigates an integrative model that examines (1) the mediating role of adolescents’ fear of missing out (FoMO) in the relationships of adolescents’ need to belong and need for popularity with adolescents’ Facebook use and (2) the relationships of adolescents’ FoMO with adolescents’ perceived stress related to the use of Facebook. Structural equation modeling results indicated that an increased need to belong and an increased need for popularity were associated with an increased use of Facebook. These relationships were mediated by FoMO. Increased FoMO was associated with increased stress related to Facebook use. These results emphasize the important role that FoMO plays in adolescents’ media use and well-being.     

Fear of missing out (FOMO) is associated with activation of the right middle temporal gyrus during inclusion social cue

Aim of this research was to investigate the neurobiological correlates of fear of missing out in response to the social exclusion and social inclusion cue.Fear of Missing Out scale (FOMOs), Social Media Engagement Questionnaire (SMEQ), and Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ) were administered to twenty-six healthy participants. Afterward, EEG activity was acquired during a visual task showing exclusion and inclusion social images.Event Related Potentials (ERP) and sLoreta analyses were performed.In the ERP analyses the main effect of condition was found in temporo-parietal and frontal montages. sLoreta analyses showed a greater intensity of the left secondary somatosensory cortex (BA7) in inclusion compared with exclusion condition and a greater intensity of left temporal-parietal junction (BA41, BA42, BA43) and left prefrontal cortex (BA47) in exclusion versus inclusion condition. Moreover, the main finding of correlations analyses was that the FOMOs score was positively correlated with ASQ-need for approval and with right middle temporal gyrus (BA21) only during inclusion condition.Findings sustain that fear of missing out is associated to a greater sensitivity towards social inclusive experiences rather than social exclusion and with need of belong.     

Fear of missing out,need for touch,anxiety and depression are related to problematic smartphone use

Problematic smartphone use is an important public health challenge and is linked with poor mental health outcomes. However, little is known about the mechanisms that maintain this behavior. We recruited a sample of 308 participants from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk labor market. Participants responded to standardized measures of problematic smartphone use, and frequency of smartphone use, depression and anxiety and possible mechanisms including behavioral activation, need for touch, fear of missing out (FoMO), and emotion regulation. Problematic smartphone use was most correlated with anxiety, need for touch and FoMO. The frequency of use was most correlated (inversely) with depression. In regression models, problematic smartphone use was associated with FoMO, depression (inversely), anxiety, and need for touch. Frequency of use was associated with need for touch, and (inversely) with depressive symptoms. Behavioral activation mediated associations between smartphone use (both problematic and usage frequency) and depression and anxiety symptoms. Emotional suppression also mediated the association between problematic smartphone use and anxiety. Results demonstrate the importance of social and tactile need fulfillment variables such as FoMO and need for touch as critical mechanisms that can explain problematic smartphone use and its association with depression and anxiety.     

Social media metrics: Third-person perceptions of health information

The present study investigated the role of social media metrics (i.e., number of shares and comments) displayed alongside online news stories in shaping users’ perceptions of the content and its influence. In a web-based experiment (N = 144), participants first read a cancer news story that displayed either a high or a low level of social media metrics, then reported their perceived story influence on the self and others, as well as their behavioral intentions. In the low social media metrics condition, the general story influence was perceived to be stronger for others than for the self, indicative of the “third-person effect.” This effect, however, was diminished to insignificant levels in the high social media metrics condition. Further, social media metrics had an ultimate indirect effect on behavioral intentions via the third-person effect. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are provided in the end.     

The relationship between frequency of Facebook use, participation in Facebook activities, and student engagement

Educators and others are interested in the effects of social media on college students, with a specific focus on the most popular social media website—Facebook. Two previous studies have examined the relationship between Facebook use and student engagement, a construct related to positive college outcomes. However, these studies were limited by their evaluation of Facebook usage and how they measured engagement. This paper fills a gap in the literature by using a large sample (N = 2368) of college students to examine the relationship between frequency of Facebook use, participation in Facebook activities, and student engagement. Student engagement was measured in three ways: a 19-item scale based on the National Survey of Student Engagement, time spent preparing for class, and time spent in co-curricular activities. Results indicate that Facebook use was significantly negatively predictive of engagement scale score and positively predictive of time spent in co-curricular activities. Additionally, some Facebook activities were positively predictive of the dependent variables, while others were negatively predictive.     

Can k-NN imputation improve the performance of C4.5 with small software project data sets? A comparative evaluation

Missing data is a widespread problem that can affect the ability to use data to construct effective prediction systems. We investigate a common machine learning technique that can tolerate missing values, namely C4.5, to predict cost using six real world software project databases. We analyze the predictive performance after using the k-NN missing data imputation technique to see if it is better to tolerate missing data or to try to impute missing values and then apply the C4.5 algorithm. For the investigation, we simulated three missingness mechanisms, three missing data patterns, and five missing data percentages. We found that the k-NN imputation can improve the prediction accuracy of C4.5. At the same time, both C4.5 and k-NN are little affected by the missingness mechanism, but that the missing data pattern and the missing data percentage have a strong negative impact upon prediction (or imputation) accuracy particularly if the missing data percentage exceeds 40%.     

RU mad @ me? Social anxiety and interpretation of ambiguous text messages

Increasingly, young adults' social interactions are taking place via computer-mediated communication (CMC). Recent research suggests that socially anxious youth, in particular, may prefer interacting via CMC and show less inhibition and greater self-disclosure in such contexts. However, cognitive features of social anxiety, such as interpretation bias, have not been studied in this context. The goal of this research was to examine the phenomenon of interpretation bias (tendency to ascribe threatening interpretations to ambiguous social situations) in response to text messages. In Study 1, a new vignette measure of interpretation bias in the context of text messaging (IB-CMC) was developed and piloted with a sample of N = 215 undergraduates. This new measure displayed good psychometric properties and evidence of construct validity. For example, negative interpretation bias in CMC was associated with two established measures of interpretation bias in face-to-face situations and symptoms of social anxiety. In Study 2, the effects of sender characteristics (specifically, gender of sender) were examined in a sample of N = 353 undergraduates. Overall, participants interpreted ambiguous text messages from female senders as more negative and less benign than messages from male senders, and this effect was particularly pronounced among male participants.     

Motivators of online vulnerability: The impact of social network site use and FOMO

Continued and frequent use of social network sites (SNS) has been linked to a fear of missing out (FOMO) and online self-promotion in the form of friending and information disclosure. The present paper reports findings from 506 UK based Facebook users (53% male) who responded to an extensive online survey about their SNS behaviours and online vulnerability. Structural equation modelling (SEM) suggests that FOMO mediates the relationship between increased SNS use and decreased self-esteem. Self-promoting SNS behaviours provide more complex mediated associations. Longitudinal support (N = 175) is provided for the notion that decreased self-esteem might motivate a potentially detrimental cycle of FOMO-inspired online SNS use. The research considers the implications of social networking on an individual's online vulnerability.     

The differential effects of agency on fear induction using a horror-themed video game

Fear research faces a dilemma as typical methods of induction elicit passive or indirect fear, rather than authentic or direct fear. The present study investigated and compared the effects of interactivity, or agency, on the physiological responses of participants as measures of direct fear as they either played or watched a horror-themed video game. Assuming agency allows for greater immersion, the former group would exhibit greater physiological responses, possibly indicating greater fear reaction. Change scores were calculated from subtracting baseline mean values from exposure mean values for every participant in measures of electrodermal activity (EDA), respiratory rate (RR), and heart rate (HR). Self-reported fear data was also gathered for every participant. Players had a significantly greater increase than watchers in EDA, RR, and HR change scores. Players and watchers did not differ significantly in self-reported fear. Change score t tests for specific events that occur in the video game are also reported. These results suggest that the variable of agency may have had the effect of inducing a greater fear response and that it provides utility for researchers seeking to ethically induce direct fear.     

Social comparison on Facebook: Motivation,affective consequences,self-esteem,and Facebook fatigue

A growing body of research examines social comparison on Facebook, a social media environment where users can present optimized versions of themselves. To grasp the complexity of social comparison on Facebook, the researchers followed Helgeson and Mickelson’s (1995) functional approach, focusing on motives (i.e., self-enhancement, self-improvement, self-evaluation, and self-destruction) rather than fixed targets (i.e., downward, upward, and unilateral comparison) of social comparison. Social comparison motivations were explored in relation to self-esteem and affective consequences of comparison. A college-student sample (N = 267) reported engaging in social comparison frequently on Facebook and low-self-esteem (LSE) individuals were more likely than those with higher self-esteem (HSE) to compare themselves to others on Facebook for self-evaluation, self-enhancement, self-improvement, and self-destruction motives. Moreover, LSEs perceived increased levels of social comparison on Facebook, although the relationship between self-esteem and actual social comparison behavior proved non-significant. Significant moderating effects of self-esteem were observed in the relationship between motivation and affect. A self-improvement motive produced greater positive affect among HSEs compared to LSEs, while self-enhancement motives engendered positive affect more prominently among LSEs compared to HSEs. The paper also begins to distill a popular phenomenon, Facebook fatigue, in social comparison empirical work.     

Queer identity online: Informal learning and teaching experiences of LGBTQ individuals on social media

In this study, we explored how social media, particularly social networking sites, serve as informal learning environments for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, and otherwise-identified (LGBTQ) individuals during formative stages of their evolving LGBTQ identity. We conducted semi-structured interviews (N = 33) probing LGBTQ individuals’ use of social media and identified three educational uses tied to online information seeking: traditional learning (e.g., information seeking about LGBTQ-related issues), social learning (e.g., observing role models or other LGBTQ individuals’ behavior and experiences), and experiential learning (e.g., experimenting with online dating sites and dating apps). These experiences were especially common during the coming out process. Participants also reported a fourth educational function, teaching (e.g., sharing information with others about their experiences as an LGBTQ individual). Teaching was more common among individuals who were out and those with less common identities (e.g., asexual and transgender). Several affordances of social media, including visibility, association, persistence, anonymity, and interactivity enabled these learning experiences.     

Late adolescent identity definition and intimate disclosure on Facebook

During the last decade, online social networks such as Facebook™ (Facebook) grew rapidly in popularity and this was due in no small measure to use of these media by adolescents. For many teenagers and young adults, Facebook represents a social institution that can be used by adolescents not only for sharing basic information and for connecting with others, but also as a platform for exploring and divulging information about their identities. To examine issues related to questions about the formation and disclosure of identity-related information by late adolescents, this study investigates the relationship between disclosures of intimate information by late adolescents through Facebook and their stage of psychosocial development. To examine disclosure behaviors of young college students on Facebook, we conducted focus groups in conjunction with a content analysis of Facebook profiles. Findings point to an extended adolescence period resting on the identity construction dilemma posed by digital social networks.     

Development of a team measure for tacit knowledge in software development teams

In this paper we operationally define and measure tacit knowledge at the team-level in the software development domain. Through a series of three empirical studies we developed and validated the team tacit knowledge measure (TTKM) for software developers. In the first study, initial scale items were developed using the repertory grid technique and content analysis. In Study 2, supplied repertory grids were administered to novices and experts to establish differential items, and Study 3 validated the TTKM on a sample of 48 industrial software development teams. In developing the TTKM we explored the relationships between tacit knowledge, explicit job knowledge and social interaction and their effect on team performance as measured by efficiency and effectiveness. In addition we assess the implications for managing software development teams and increasing team performance through social interaction.     

数据挖掘中基于核的多重填补的一种新算法

在数据挖掘预处理中,数据缺失是最为常见的数据预处理问题之一。通常对所要挖掘的数据分布形式没有任何先验知识。在这种情况下,非参回归分析方法可以为数据缺失的处理提供一种效果很好的解决途径。据此,在缺失机制是随机缺失（Missing at Random,MAR）和完全随机缺失（Missing Completely at Random,MCAR）的条件下,提出了一种处理数据缺失的新方法,即基于核函数的非参多重填补算法。模拟实验结果表明,算法的置信区间的覆盖率,区间长度,以及相对效率都比常用的NORM算法要好。     

Motivational factors of information exchange in social information spaces

Research has shown that there are many barriers that hinder people to participate in online information exchange. We provide an overview about the research done so far and classify the found motivational factors. With two empirical studies we test the simultaneous impact of these factors in order to identify the most important ones. Study 1, a qualitative interview study with potential users investigates key motivational factors for information exchange. Study 2, a quantitative study with users of an established social information space relates all motivational factors to subjective and objective measures of participation in information exchange. We found that internal motivation, gain of prestige, quality and quantity of content and procedural fairness are the strongest motivational factors supporting participation, whereas time and effort requirements for contribution and fear of personal feedback are the strongest factors hindering contribution. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.     

Beyond the lab: Investigating early adolescents' cognitive,emotional, and arousal responses to violent games

Cognitive, emotional, and arousal responses to violent games play a central role in theoretical explanations of how violent media may affect aggression. However, existing research has focused on a relatively narrow range of responses to violent games in experimental settings. This limits our understanding of whether and how violent game-induced responses relate to aggression in real life. To address these gaps, this study investigated how cognitive effort, emotional valence, and arousal in response to violent games relate to early adolescents' aggression, both cross-sectionally and over a period of one year. In addition, we investigated how a social context variable (i.e., family conflict) predicts these responses to violent games and subsequent aggression. A sample of 448 early adolescents (10–14 years) completed survey questions and media diaries that measured their responses to violent games. Results showed that, outside the lab, a positive cross-sectional relationship between violent game-induced arousal and aggression exists. In addition, arousal mediated the relationship between family conflict and aggression. Study findings justify increased research attention to media responses outside the lab and a need for further theoretical and methodological refinement.     

Identifying commonalities and differences in personality characteristics of Internet and social media addiction profiles: traits,self-esteem,and self-construal

Excessive use of the Internet and social media has been associated with behavioural addiction, which sparked the researchers’ interest in gaining a better understanding of this global phenomenon. The aim of this study was to fill a gap in knowledge by using just one sample to identify similarities and differences in relationships between technology addictions and personality characteristics, especially traits, self-esteem, and self-construal. The sample consisted of 512 undergraduate students. The results showed that Internet addiction and social media addiction shared many more similarities than differences. Agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness to experiences, emotional stability, self-esteem, the frequency of checking account, and Internet usage were predictors of both Internet addiction and social media addiction. Age, satisfaction with life, and interdependent self-construal did not predict Internet addiction or social media addiction, whereas real self and extraversion predicted Internet addiction only, and gender, posting updates, a number of friends, and independent self-construal predicted social media addiction only. These results provide some basis for an understanding of Internet and social media addiction profiles.     

Partial imputation of unseen records to improve classification using a hybrid multi-layered artificial immune system and genetic algorithm

Missing data in large insurance datasets affects the learning and classification accuracies in predictive modelling. Insurance datasets will continue to increase in size as more variables are added to aid in managing client risk and will therefore be even more vulnerable to missing data. This paper proposes a hybrid multi-layered artificial immune system and genetic algorithm for partial imputation of missing data in datasets with numerous variables. The multi-layered artificial immune system creates and stores antibodies that bind to and annihilate an antigen. The genetic algorithm optimises the learning process of a stimulated antibody. The evaluation of the imputation is performed using the RIPPER, k-nearest neighbour, naïve Bayes and logistic discriminant classifiers. The effect of the imputation on the classifiers is compared with that of the mean/mode and hot deck imputation methods. The results demonstrate that when missing data imputation is performed using the proposed hybrid method, the classification improves and the robustness to the amount of missing data is increased relative to the mean/mode method for data missing completely at random (MCAR) missing at random (MAR), and not missing at random (NMAR).The imputation performance is similar to or marginally better than that of the hot deck imputation.