Does my comment count? Perceptions of political participation in an online environment

Since the infancy of the Internet, scholars have posited that the medium would mobilize and engage citizens, yet the reality has proven it to be more nuanced and complex. This project examines citizens’ motivations to engage in politics online, assessing how people are driven by both a desire to influence government as well as to communicate political ideas to others. We explore the ways these two behaviors are perceived by citizens in online versus offline contexts. We also examine how such perceptions can predict certain behaviors, such as “friending” a candidate and messaging with friends about politics. We find that these behaviors are indeed perceived differently among citizens, and that perceptions predict the likelihood of participating in online political forums.     

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.     

On social Web sites

Today hundreds of millions of Internet users are using thousands of social Web sites to stay connected with their friends, discover new “friends,” and to share user-created contents, such as photos, videos, social bookmarks, and blogs. There are so many social Web sites, and their features are evolving rapidly. There is controversy about the benefits of these sites, and there are social issues these sites have given rise to. There are lots of press articles, Wikipedia articles, and blogs—in varying degrees of authoritativeness, clarity and accuracy—about some of the social Web sites, uses of the sites, and some social problems, and business challenges faced by the sites. In this paper, we attempt to organize the status, uses, and issues of social Web sites into a comprehensive framework for discussing, understanding, using, building, and forecasting the future of social Web sites.     

Determinants of negative word-of-mouth communication using social networking sites

At present, as customers often turn to social media platforms to share their service experience, this study aims to examine the determinants of their negative word-of-mouth communication using social networking sites following a service failure. Although many studies have examined the electronic word-of-mouth communication, studies on negative word-of-mouth communication using social media platforms remain sparse. Building on the cognitive dissonance theory and social support theory, this study proposes and empirically examines the role of contextual, individual and social networking factors in determining the customers’ intentions to engage in negative word-of-mouth communication using social networking sites. Self-reported retrospective survey was used to obtain responses from 206 online shoppers. The results of the structural equation modelling showed that feeling of injustice, firm attribution, firm image, face concern, reappraisal, use intensity and tie strength are key antecedents of negative word-of-mouth communication. The findings provide valuable insights for managers in developing effective Webcare interventions for negative word-of-mouth communication on social networking sites.     

Students’ appraisal of emotional and relational experience whilst collaborating online using text based communication

The impacts that the lack of physical cues and non-verbal cues of emotional expression has on the student learning experience in text based online environments were targeted separately in this study. A questionnaire was constructed with separate items for non-verbal cues of emotional expression and cues to physical identity. The survey also included questions about students’ previous experience with technology and collaboration, and their motivations for undertaking the course. Views about their interactions with other students were also sought. The responses of 256 students who had undertaken a text based online course where collaboration was a mandatory requirement were collected and subsequently analysed using cluster analysis. Four distinct cohorts of students were identified. Using a conceptual approach borrowed from neuroscience, modularity, it has been possible to encapsulate the effects of three distinct aspects of collaborating in text based online contexts, lack of cues to physical identity, lack of cues to emotional expression and interaction experience. These aspects were analysed alongside the student profiles for each of the four cohorts. The findings indicate that the external factors that an individual student brings to a learning context can impact on the learning experience. Neuroscientifically based knowledge that is relevant for the findings of the survey are identified and considered in terms of the questions raised from an interdisciplinary perspective.     

A mixed method approach to examining Facebook use and its relationship to self-esteem

The current study examined the relationship between self-esteem and Facebook use in sample of college-age participants (N = 201). Online methods were used to collect data. Consistent with the social compensation hypothesis, results indicate that self-esteem level was related to engaging in different on-line behaviors. For example, lower self-esteem was associated with feelings of connectedness to Facebook, more frequently untagging oneself in photos, and accepting friend requests from individuals that one does not know well. Qualitative analyses indicated that individuals with higher self-esteem were more likely to report that a positive aspect of Facebook was the ability to share pictures, thoughts, and ideas, and to report that other posts could become annoying or bothersome.     

An exploration of social networking site use,multitasking, and academic performance among United States and European university students

Studies have shown that multitasking with technology, specifically using Social Networking Sites (SNSs), decreases both efficiency and productivity in an academic setting. This study investigates multitasking’s impact on the relationship between SNS use and Grade Point Average (GPA) in United States (US; n = 451) and European (n = 406) university students using quantitative and qualitative data analysis. Moderated Multiple Regression analysis results showed that the negative relationship between SNS use and GPA was moderated by multitasking only in the US sample. This may be due to European students being less prone to “disruptive” multitasking. The results provide valuable cautionary information about the impact of multitasking and using SNSs in a learning environment on university students’ GPAs.     

To use or not to use? Social media in higher education in developing countries

This research is a response to the universal use of social media by students for academic-related purposes. It bridges a gap in knowledge in relation to the value and use of social media as effective teaching and learning tool in higher education in developing countries. A pre-tested questionnaire survey was self-administered to faculty members in the eight public Egyptian higher institutions offering tourism and hotel management programs. The results showed that social media have a great value for academic-related purposes, particularly as teaching and learning tool; however, the actual use by faculty was at a minimal level. In-depth interviews were conducted to identify the perils, barriers and concerns for the minimal use. Several barriers were identified with some specific to developing countries' context. Nonetheless, there was consensus by faculty that if these barriers were overcome, social media could be developed as an innovative and effective tool for teaching and learning. Implications for researchers and policy makers are discussed.     

All about me: Disclosure in online social networking profiles: The case of FACEBOOK

The present research examined disclosure in online social networking profiles (i.e., FACEBOOK™). Three studies were conducted. First, a scoring tool was developed in order to comprehensively assess the content of the personal profiles. Second, grouping categories (default/standard information, sensitive personal information, and potentially stigmatizing information) were developed to examine information pertinent to identity threat, personal and group threat. Third, a grouping strategy was developed to include all information present in FACEBOOK™, but to organize it in a meaningful way as a function of the content that was presented. Overall, approximately 25% of all possible information that could potentially be disclosed by users was disclosed. Presenting personal information such as gender and age was related to disclosure of other sensitive and highly personal information. Age and relationship status were important factors in determining disclosure. As age increased, the amount of personal information in profiles decreased. Those seeking a relationship were at greatest risk of threat, and disclosed the greatest amount of highly sensitive and potentially stigmatizing information. These implications of these findings with respect to social and legal threats, and potential means for identifying users placing themselves at greatest risk, are discussed.     

Understanding social networking sites adoption in China: A comparison of pre-adoption and post-adoption

Prior experience is an important determinant factor of individual behavior. This paper developed a theoretical model to predict the adoption intention of pre-adopters and post-adopters on social networking sites based on the theory of planned behavior. Using data from online surveys of netizens in China, the proposed model was tested in the context of pre-adoption and post-adoption by using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) technique. Then, multi-groups analysis was explored to compare the difference between the two groups. The results show that attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavior control have significant effect on the adoption intention of pre-adopters and post-adopters, and there is no significant difference between the two groups. In addition, information, meeting new people, and conformity motivations have the same significant effect on both groups. However, entertainment motivation has a significant effect on pre-adopters but connecting with old friends has none; in contrast, connecting with old friends has significant effect on post-adopters while entertainment motivation has no significant effect.     

Who puts the best “face” forward on Facebook?: Positive self-presentation in online social networking and the role of self-consciousness,actual-to-total Friends ratio,and culture

The present research investigated how individual, interpersonal, and cultural variables influence positive self-presentation in online social networking. In particular, we examined the role of self-consciousness, actual-to-total Friends ratio, and culture in positive self-presentation on Facebook. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with college-age participants in the United States (n = 183) and South Korea (n = 137). Results showed that self-consciousness (public vs. private) and actual-to-total Friends ratio were not significantly associated with positive self-presentation on Facebook; however, culture showed a statistically significant association with positive self-presentation on Facebook, with the U.S. participants engaging in positive self-presentation on Facebook to a greater extent than the South Korean participants. More interestingly, culture significantly moderated the relationship between public self-consciousness and positive self-presentation as well as the relationship between actual-to-total Friends ratio and positive self-presentation. Specifically, positive self-presentation showed a significant positive association with public self-consciousness and a significant negative association with actual-to-total Friends ratio only among the South Korean participants and not among the U.S. participants. Theoretical and practical implications for understanding cross-cultural differences in self-presentation behaviors on social network sites were discussed.     

Mirror or Megaphone?: How relationships between narcissism and social networking site use differ on Facebook and Twitter

As research on the connection between narcissism and social networking site (SNS) use grows, definitions of SNS and measurements of their use continue to vary, leading to conflicting results. To improve understanding of the relationship between narcissism and SNS use, as well as the implications of differences in definition and measurement, we examine two ways of measuring Facebook and Twitter use by testing the hypothesis that SNS use is positively associated with narcissism. We also explore the relation between these types of SNS use and different components of narcissism within college students and general adult samples. Our findings suggest that for college students, posting on Twitter is associated with the Superiority component of narcissistic personality while Facebook posting is associated with the Exhibitionism component. Conversely, adults high in Superiority post on Facebook more rather than Twitter. For adults, Facebook and Twitter are both used more by those focused on their own appearances but not as a means of showing off, as is the case with college students. Given these differences, it is essential for future studies of SNS use and personality traits to distinguish between different types of SNS, different populations, and different types of use.