Communication Technology 2014 Abstracts
Faculty Papers
Multiple uses. Diverse effects? The impact of mobile phone usage on social capital and subjective well-being • Michael Chan, Chinese University of Hong Kong • The number of mobile phone subscriptions worldwide has reached almost 7 billion in 2013. Therefore, the social and psychological consequences of the technology are of great interest to new media scholars and policy makers. Adopting an affordance-based approach, this study examines how different uses of the mobile phone are related to individuals’ subjective well-being and social capital. Findings from a national survey showed that both voice and online communication with the mobile phone is positively related to various indicators of subjective well-being and bonding and bridging capital. Moreover, both bonding and bridging capital mediated the relationship between mobile phone use and subjective well-being. On the other hand, non-communicative uses such as information seeking activities were negatively related to positive affect and passing time activities were positively related to negative affect. Implications of the findings are discussed.
The Extended iSelf: The Impact of iPhone Separation on Cognition, Emotion, and Physiology During Cognitive Tasks • Russell Clayton, University of Missouri; Glenn Leshner, University of Missouri • This study uniquely examined the impacts on self, cognition, anxiety, and physiology when iPhone users are unable to answer their iPhone while performing cognitive tasks. A 2 x 2 within-subjects experiment was conducted. Participants (N = 40 iPhone users) completed two word search puzzles. Among the key findings from this study were that when iPhone users were unable to answer their ringing iPhone during a word search puzzle, heart rate and blood pressure increased, self-reported feelings of anxiety and unpleasantness increased, and self-reported extended self and cognition decreased. These findings suggest that negative psychological and physiological outcomes are associated with iPhone separation and the inability to answer one’s ringing iPhone during cognitive tasks. Implications of findings are discussed.
Navigating through the Bulls and Bears on the Web: Balancing Information Literacy Skills and Self-Efficacy • Bo Ren Ang; Zhao Yao Lam; Jion Chun Teo; Pamela Ting Jun Chan; Debbie Goh, Nanyang Technological University • Young investors increasingly turn to the Internet for financial information. Through a cross-sectional study of young investors in Singapore, the empirical components of information literacy skills and self-efficacy in information use were analysed and compared on using quality financial information online. The components were examined across demographics, financial literacy, digital skills, and investing experience. This study fills the literature gap by proposing a balance of high information literacy skills with a strong sense of self-efficacy.
Building Brand-Consumer Relationships on Facebook: Effects of Socialness in Brand Communication and The Control on Consumer Feedback • Jin Hammick, Flagler College • Grounded in relationship marketing theory and social response theory, this study investigates the potential of Facebook as a brand-consumer relationship channel in two ways: socialness in brand communication and brand’s control on consumer feedback. A 2×2 experimental study revealed that socialness and feedback control are essential predictors for consumers’ perception on brand trustworthiness, relationship commitment and brand attitude. Interaction effects were found on commitment and brand trust.
News Informatics: Engaging Individuals with Data-Rich News Content through Interactivity in Source, Medium, and Message • S. Shyam Sundar, The Pennsylvania State University; Haiyan Jia, The Pennsylvania State University; Saraswathi Bellur; Jeeyun Oh, Robert Morris University; Hyang-Sook Kim, St. Norbert College • This paper introduces the concept of “news informatics” to refer to journalistic presentation of big data in online sites. It argues that for users to be engaged with data-driven public information, sites ought to incorporate interactive tools so that users can extract personally relevant information. Three different kinds of interactivity proposed by Sundar (2007) are empirically tested in a 2 (modality) × 3 (source) × 2 (message) field experiment (N =166) with a data-rich site.
Senior Citizens on Facebook: How do they Interact and Why? • Eun-Hwa Jung, The Pennsylvania State University; S. Shyam Sundar, The Pennsylvania State University • This study investigated why senior citizens use Facebook and how they participate in specific activities on Facebook in order to gratify their needs. A survey of 440 seniors revealed four primary motivations: social bonding, social bridging, curiosity, and responding to family-member requests. Regression analyses indicate that social bonding is a major motivation, which leads to more activities on Facebook, greater Facebook use and higher satisfaction with using Facebook. Message-interactivity features lead to greater Facebook use.
Mobile Communication for Human Needs: A Comparison of Smartphone Use between the US and Korea • Seok Kang, University of Texas at San Antonio; Jaemin Jung • This study deals with two studies that develop and compare a measure and model of hierarchical needs of smartphone use from U.S. and Korean users. The first study examines the dimensionality of measure by conducting an exploratory factor analysis on 398 U.S. and 331 Korean college students. Results identified five constructs of the smartphone basic needs (SBN) scale from the two samples: physiological, safety, belongingness, self-esteem, and self-actualization. The second study examines the relationships between the SBN and use behavior, which leads to life satisfaction. The relationship of the constructs was theoretically synthesized and tested. Results indicate that both samples believe that the smartphone fulfills the needs of safety and self-actualization that predict smartphone use and life satisfaction. Theoretical and cross-cultural implications are discussed.
Look, Where I am! Examining the Relationship between Motivations of Mobile Check-ins and User Privacy Concerns • Hyang-Sook Kim, St. Norbert College; Nichole Wierzba • Given the popularity of checking in at a location via mobile phone, little research has examined germane motivations tied to check-in as a form of in-group electronic word-of-mouth, and related concern of privacy. A survey with 174 college students found mixed relationships between motivations of location check-in and students’ privacy concerns online. Students’ competence and involvement with mobile phone showed mixed relationships with check-in motivations as well. Details of the findings and implications were discussed.
Predicting Retweet Behavior in Breast Cancer Social Networks: Network and Content Characteristics • Eunkyung Kim, University of Georgia; Jiran Hou; Jeong-Yeob Han, University of Georgia; Itai Himelboim, University of Georgia • The study explores how social media, especially Twitter, serves as a viable place for communicating about cancer on Twitter cancer community. Using a two-step analytic method that combines social network analysis and computer-aided content analysis, this study investigates 1) how different types of network structure explain a retweeting behavior, and 2) what type of tweet is retweeted and why some messages attract more interactions among users. The analysis has revealed that messages written by users who have a higher number of followers, a higher level of personal influence over the interaction, and closer relationships and similarities with other users were retweeted. In addition, a tweet message with higher level of positive emotion was retweeted, while a tweet message with higher level of tentative words was not retweeted.
When Scientists Talk to the ‘Rest of Us’: Using the Technology Acceptance Model to Explain Scientists’ Use of New Media to Communicate with the Public • Anthony Dudo, University of Texas at Austin; Allison Lazard, University of Texas at Austin; Lee Ann Kahlor, UT Austin; Niveen AbiGhannam, University of Texas at Austin; Ming-Ching Liang • This study provides an examination of scientists’ adoption of new media for public communication. Using a sample of research scientists and the Technology Acceptance Model to specify a structural model that explicates scientists’ online public communication behavior, we found support for 30% of the variance in our dependent variable. Our analysis fills a gap in the science communication literature and provides actionable insights for practitioners seeking to improve scientists’ public communication abilities.
Who Put Their 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 • Jong-Eun Roselyn Lee, Ohio State University; Minsun Shim, Inha University; Yeon Kyoung Joo, Stanford University; Sung Gwan Park, Department of Communication, Seoul National University • This study investigated the roles of self-consciousness, actual-to-total Friends ratio, and culture on positive self-presentation on Facebook. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with Facebook users in the U.S. (n = 183) and South Korea (n = 137). The results showed that U.S. participants, compared with South Koreans, engaged in positive self-presentation to a greater extent. The data further demonstrated that culture significantly moderated the effects of public self-consciousness and actual-to-total Friends ratio on positive self-presentation.
What Makes Us Click “Like” On Social Media? Examining Psychological, Technological, And Motivational Factors On Virtual Endorsement • Shu-Yueh Lee, Department of Journalism, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh; Sara Steffes Hansen, Department of Journalism, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh; Jin Kyun Lee, Hongik University • This study examines motives for virtually endorsing others on social media, focusing on the Facebook “like” function. Motives are studied in terms of Uses and Gratifications, Theory of Reasoned Action, and personality and technology factors. Data from an online survey of 213 respondents were examined using factor- and hierarchical-regression analyses. Findings showed enjoyment and interpersonal relationship as most salient motives. Two types of user profiles emerged. Those with higher self-esteem, more diligence, more emotional stability, and less subjective norm clicked “like” to express enjoyment. Those with lower self-esteem, less diligence, less emotional stability, and higher subjective norm clicked “like” for pleasing others.
Internet Alternative Media Usage and Oppositional Knowledge • Francis L. F. Lee, Chinese University of Hong Kong • The Internet has been regarded as an important platform through which citizens can get informed about politics and public affairs. Different types of websites or content, however, may convey different types of political knowledge. This study focuses on the impact of Internet alternative media on audience’s levels of oppositional knowledge, defined as knowledge about facts and concepts that are instrumental in the formation critical attitudes toward dominant power and generating support or participation in oppositional actions. The empirical analysis examines three types of oppositional knowledge: factual information about oppositional groups and figures, negatively valenced cognitions about dominant power, and understanding of the concept of civil disobedience. Analysis of survey data from Hong Kong shows that Internet alternative media usage relates positively to factual information about movement groups and activists and understanding of civil disobedience, while it has only very limited relationship with traditional and non-oppositional forms of political knowledge. Oppositional knowledge also mediates the impact of Internet alternative media on support for a planned civil disobedience campaign and general protest participation.
Participatory Expressions in Blogs and Microblogs: A content analysis of bloggers’ posts in two Chinese news portals • Xigen Li; Jing Xia • Informed by adaptive structuration theory, this study examines to what degree bloggers in China adapt to the new communication structure, and use blog and microblog for participatory expression on public welfare, and social and political issues. The results offer insights into the changes brought by communication technology and the adaptive structuration process of bloggers in their transfer from blog to microblog. The findings highlight the stronger function of microblog in participatory expression compared to blog.
Media Doxxing as Invasion of Privacy: An analysis of online comments • Jasmine McNealy • Doxxing is the revelation of personally identifiable information on the Internet. And it is not solely nefarious Internet hackers who disclose information; news organizations, too, have engaged in doxxing. This case study examines the reaction to a media doxxing by conducting a qualitative content analysis of the comments left on the online article. In particular, this study explores whether the comments thought the doxxing was an invasion of privacy.
Gaming social capital: Finding civic value in multiplayer video games • Logan Molyneux, University of Texas; Krishnan Vasudevan, The University of Texas at Austin; Homero Gil de Zuniga, University of Vienna • Previous research suggests that social interactions in video games may lead to the development of community bonding and pro-social attitudes. Results from a national survey of U.S. adults finds that gamers who develop ties with a community of fellow gamers possess gaming social capital, a new gaming-related community construct that is shown to be a positive antecedent in predicting both face-to-face social capital and civic participation.
Diffusion of Social Media Campaign Effects: Moderating Roles of Social Capital in Anti-Smoking Campaign Communications • Kang Namkoong, University of Kentucky; Seungahn Nah, University of Kentucky; Stephanie Van Stee, University of Missouri – St. Louis; Rachael Record, University of Kentucky • This study examined the effects of a social media campaign on persuasive intentions to encourage others to stop smoking and comply with anti-smoking policy as well as the roles of social trust and community life satisfaction. Our 201 subjects were randomly assigned to an experimental condition: ‘campaign message reception only’ or ‘message reception and expression.’ Social trust and community life satisfaction interacted with treatment condition to positively affect persuasive intentions, but in different ways.
The possibilities of proximity: Mobile effects on a traditional news factor • Brett Oppegaard; Michael Rabby, Washington State University • Proximity, or geographical nearness, of the audience to the news event has been a fundamental factor for determining localized media content for generations. Practitioners and scholars generally understand that the closer a person is to the place of the news happening, the more interested that person might be in the information. Mobile technologies, with location- / spatial- / contextual-awareness capabilities, have raised many related issues about the potential for journalism to make better connections to contemporary audiences through the customization of content based on issues of place. In terms of such tailoring, mobile devices allow novel kinds of news connections, based on the nearness to a physical stimulus. To examine these phenomena, an app was developed around The Old Apple Tree, the matriarch of Washington state’s apple industry. The mobile content – providing service-journalism context to connect the tree, the industry, the annual festivities, and the place – then was shared with people in the presence of The Old Apple Tree during the festival, as well as at a holiday festival a half-mile away and a couple of months later. The results show a significant difference in the responses by the audiences, based on proximity. Proximity therefore could be a key consideration in the generation of new forms of mobile news.
Explicating Net Diversity in Longitudinal Assessment • Yong Jin Park, Howard University • This study tracks the increasing supply of Internet access and the diversity of Internet use by analyzing data from the three waves of a survey conducted in the U.K. in 2005, 2007, and 2009. Data on Internet access and three dimensions of online use (civic/governmental, economic, and news/information) reveal that Internet offers a promise of diversity, but also presents systematic divides in which the increase in benefits (of Internet capacities and actual consumed) does not uniformly occur, while the impacts of social disparities remain constant over time. Our discussion addresses how characteristics of social backgrounds are salient in harnessing types of Internet use.
Online vs. Face-to-Face Self-Disclosure among AA Members • Stephen Perry, Illinois State University; David Jackiewicz, Kellogg Community College • Self-disclosure is an important part of the recovery process articulated in the Alcoholics Anonymous literature. Some studies of online support groups have shown greater social support and propensity for self-disclosure through attendance in online meetings than in face-to-face meetings, a concept that seemed to be supported by hyperpersonal communication theory. This study chose to investigate whether self-disclosure is enacted and perceived differently for AA members based on their predominant type of meeting attendance. Survey findings indicate that participants are more willing to disclose during face-to-face meetings than they are online in both the honesty and depth self-disclosure dimensions. Only reciprocity was statistically unchanged across the meeting types.
News Recommendations from Social Media Opinion Leaders: Effects on Media Trust and Information Seeking • Jason Turcotte; Chance York, Louisiana State University; Jacob M. Irving, LSU; Rosanne Scholl, LSU; Ray Pingree, Louisiana State University • In today’s polarized news environment, social media offers a forum for both diverse viewpoints and an exchange of opinions. This experiment found that a recommendation for a news article made by a real-life Facebook friend increased trust of and reliance on the news outlet where the article appeared, but only if the friend was perceived as an opinion leader. The reverse was true for recommendations from poor opinion leaders. Implications for democracy and the news business are discussed.
Applying the Theory of Reasoned Action to Student-Teacher Relationships on Facebook • Pavica Sheldon, University of Alabama – Huntsville • The purpose of this study was to investigate professors’ and students’ intentions to add each other as friends on Facebook. Participants were 160 college professors and 249 students from different American universities. Consistent with theory of reasoned action, intention was the strongest predictor of them adding each other as Facebook friends. However, among faculty members, a personal attitude was the most significant predictor of the intention to add students as friends. For students, subjective norm was the most significant predictor of the intention to friend professors. Overall, students had positive beliefs about other people’s approval of their Facebook friendships with professors – while faculty had slightly negative beliefs about what others would think of them being Facebook friends with students.
Cyberbullying YouTube videos: What makes them different and what makes them viral? • Karen Smreker, Michigan State University; Tegan Smischney, Michigan State University; Saleem Alhabash, Michigan State University • The phenomenon of cyberbullying is ever growing with the increasing sophistication of information communication technologies. Victims and aggressors have used social media platforms to discuss this issue. The current study analyzed 315 YouTube videos dealing with cyberbullying and explored differences among source attributes and content attributes. Additionally, the study explored how source and content attributes predict the virality of cyberbullying YouTube videos (views, likes, and comments). Findings showed that the number of views, likes, and dislikes differed significantly as a function of the type of source featured in the YouTube videos. Findings are discussed within the framework of advancing our understanding of cyberbullying and in relation to creating more effective campaigns to curb the prevalence and effects of cyberbullying.
Is a “sticker” worth a thousand words? The effect of Line character sticker use on relational intimacy • Shaojung Sharon Wang, National Sun Yat-sen University; Cai-Wei Peng, National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan • This study investigated how Line character sticker use may contribute to the perception of intimate experience and ultimately enhance relationship satisfaction in both positive and negative emotion situations. A 2 (situation valance: positive emotion, negative emotion)×3 (response style: text, sticker, text, & sticker) ×3(scenario: career, romance, education) factorial experiment was employed. The results revealed significant main effects of situation valance and response type on intimate experience. Specifically, a partner’s supportive response during positive event disclosure can better predict the sense of intimate experience. Findings here suggest that the intimacy model in the FtF situation can still effectively explain how intimacy is fostered in the mobile communication environment. The hyperpersonal model is further extended to the effect of nonverbal cues in creating intimacy.
Why do we Pin? New Gratifications explain Unique Activities in Pinterest • Ruoxu Wang, The Pennsylvania State University; Fan Yang; Saijing Zheng; S. Shyam Sundar, The Pennsylvania State University • Pinterest is now the third most popular SNS after Facebook and LinkedIn. An online survey (N=113) was conducted to explore the relationships between 23 affordance-based gratifications derived from MAIN model (Sundar, 2008) and ten different Pinterest behaviors. Our study revealed that a brand new set of gratifications (specific to digital media) predicted a whole lot of user behaviors in Pinterest. As we analyzed the data, four findings were especially interesting: 1) People who felt that they had a higher degree of ownership from their curating activity were more likely to be frequent pinners; 2) Those who perceived Pinterest as being cool were likely to be more frequent browsers; 3) Those who thought that they were the source of Pinterest content were more likely to create boards frequently; and 4) Those inclined to browse freely in Pinterest were less likely to invite others to pin the boards they created. Theoretical and design implications were discussed.
Attacks by “Anons”: A Content Analysis of Status Negotiations in Aggressive Posts, Victim Responses, and Bystander Interventions on a Social Media Site • Rachel Young, University of Iowa; Stephanie Miles, University of Iowa • Though the incidence of cyberbullying is far outpaced by incidence of bullying face-to-face, the experience of perceived online victimization is relatively common among adolescents. The affordances of social media sites, such as anonymity and asynchronicity, inform status negotiations among online aggressors, victims, and supportive bystanders. This quantitative content analysis investigates more than 1,000 question-answer dyads from 78 social media profiles to determine which rhetorical strategies are used most frequently and how strategies vary by roles within an online encounter. We found that victims and bystanders as well as aggressors used the anonymity affordance to demonstrate social strength. In addition, most profile owners received at least one supportive comment, and certain responses from victims determined the nature of subsequent comments, be they neutral, supportive, or aggressive. This exploratory research suggests many areas for future study that will inform interventions to encourage effective victim and bystander responses in cyberbullying.
Open Competition
Understanding Generational Differences in the Relationship Between Online Banking and Online Security • Saleem Alhabash, Michigan State University; Shelia Cotten, Michigan State University; Hsin-yi Tsai; Nora Rifon, Michigan State University; Robert LaRose, Michigan State University • Age differences in the use of communication technologies are often noted as barriers to adoption. However, age in itself is not necessarily a barrier when the communication technology in question offers benefits to older adult users and when the associated risks are manageable. The present research integrates online safety and online banking research to examine generational differences in the acceptance of communication technology in the presence of financial risk to the user. Diverse Mechanical Turk samples of Millennial, Baby Boomer, and older (Silent and GI) generation adults were surveyed. Multiple regression analyses of online banking adoption intentions showed that trust in online banking providers and coping self-efficacy were variables that distinguished the generations.
I thought you would like to know: Exploring motivations for sharing sports news on Twitter • Jan Boehmer, Michigan State University; Edson Tandoc, Nanyang Technological University • The present study explores motivations of content sharing on Twitter in the context of sports news employing a two-step text-based analysis combining qualitative and quantitative approaches. First, a grounded theory approach is used to create a typology of motivations from open ended survey-questions. Categories are then used to classify all responses and compute a regression model predicting individuals’ intentions to share. Main motivations include the informativeness of the tweet and considerations about the perceived audience.
Revisiting the Contact Hypothesis in Computer-Mediated Communication: Effects of Different CMC modes and Attitude Strengths on Intergroup Relationships • Bolin CAO; Wan-Ying Lin • This study applies the contact hypothesis in the computer-mediated communication (CMC) situation and examines whether intergroup contacts would facilitate intergroup relationships. The effectiveness of different CMC modes, particularly text-based and video-based, was investigated. Participants (N=60) interacted with a confederate from the conflicting outgroup via either text-based CMC or video-based CMC. The results revealed that video-based CMC exerted more influence in improving participants’ attitudes towards the targeted outgroup member than did text-based CMC. Nevertheless, neither text-based nor video-based CMC helped promote positive attitudes towards the outgroup as a whole. On the other hand, prior attitude strengths significantly predicted individuals’ attitude change towards the outgroup. The role of social identity model of deindividuation effects (SIDE) in intergroup contacts was discussed.
Factors Affecting Internet Diffusion in China: A Multivariate Time Series Analysis • Guangchao Feng, Jinan University • Based on previous studies and theories, a framework called EPIC (Economy-Policy-Infrastructure-Content) was proposed and a multivariate time series analysis was performed to examine the relationships between Internet diffusion and these factors. The growth of Internet penetration was found to be mainly driven by Internet access cost and content, and yet GDP per capita and telecommunications infrastructure failed to play roles. The implications were discussed at last.
Entertain me now, later and when I want: The Uses and Gratifications of College Students’ Consumption of Current Events on Social Media • Jack Karlis, Buffalo State College • Social media is a dominant news source among the college students. This study examines the “what” or different dimensions of news and the “why” or uses and gratifications that college students use current events on social media. This study adds to the existing body of uses and gratification literature. This study found five gratifications (information seeking, surveillance/guidance, voyeurism and social interaction), including one unique to current events on social media, perpetual entertainment. This study also looked at the predictors of recall and general use from current events on social media by college students.
TV takes in Social: Psychological predictors of social TV viewing motivations and audience activity on SNSs • Hongjin Shim; Yeonkyung Lee, University of S. Korea; Hyunjin Song • This paper investigates the relationships between motivations, audience activity, and psychological traits of 442 social TV drama viewers. Audience activity on SNSs were identified as dissemination and reception and, during such activities, the respondents’ motivations for Social TV use were driven by co-viewing, engagement, and passing time. While co-viewing and engagement were relevant to either reception or engagement, passing time was related to both activities. Psychological traits also predicted the motivations: innovativeness and BAS were significantly associated with all motivations but BIS. Results suggest that social TV viewers would attempt to transform conventional ways of audience activity into new practices on new media influenced by their psychological traits reflecting motivations.
Old Programs, New Channels: A Uses and Gratifications Approach To Internet Television • Nai-Se Li, Mindshare; Jay Newell, Iowa State University • Television shows once available only on conventional TV in homes on specific days and times are now available via Internet TV in nearly any location, 24 hours a day. While some shows may be the same on conventional TV and Internet TV, the motivations for viewing may be different for each platform. This study employs a uses and gratification approach to compare audience rationales for watching program-length content on conventional TV to watching the same content type on Internet TV.
Revisiting group size effects: group size and member participation in an online community • TAE JOON MOON, University of Wisconsin – Madison; Ming-Yuan Chih, University of Kentucky; Dhavan Shah, University of Wisconsin – Madison; David Gustafson, University of Wisconsin – Madison • This study investigates how group size influences the patterns of member participation and attachment in an online community. Reconciling competing views on group size effects, this study suggests that the effects of group size can be understood as a non-linear fashion and adopts a two-step analysis (i.e., multiple-curve estimation procedure and confirmatory hierarchical regression analysis) to determine the optimal models which best explains the relationships between group size and member participation/attachment. By analyzing 236 members’ use behavior in an online support community during 48-month period, the present study found a negative logarithmic relationship between group size and participation; member participation sharply decreased at the initial stage as group size increased, yet the rate of decrease kept decelerating. The relationship between group size and member attachment was best explained by a quadratic curve model; member attachment decreased at the earlier stage until group size reached a certain threshold (around 250 in this study) but turned to increase thereafter as the group grew. Given the observed curvilinear relationships, a desirable group size to alleviate negative effects and increase positive effects of group size is further discussed.
Impression formation on social media from the viewer perspectives • Yi Mou; Mike Miller • The question of how impression is formed online – especially on social media – has triggered a lot of research interest. While traditional impression formation literature mainly looks at this issue from the source perspective, little attention is paid from the viewer or audience perspective. As anecdotal evidence and scientific inquiry accumulated, viewer’s identity is called into the question of how and why a certain impression is formed. Under the guideline of self-categorization theory, this study aims to provide some insights on impression formation from a viewer perspective. An online experiment was conducted based on a 2 (microblog post topic: personal vs. professional) X 2 (fans count: few vs. many) between-subjects factorial design. Under each condition, a mock-up microblog page of a fictitious college professor was presented to respondents before they were asked to evaluate this “professor”. The results indicate that teacher respondents and student respondents rate the likability and credibility of this professor differently. Theoretical implications are discussed.
Who said that? A persuasion knowledge perspective for understanding the effect of social distance and source expertise on social networking sites (SNS) • Yoon Hi Sung; Chang-Hoan Cho; Young Woong Shin • This study explored the effect of social distance and source expertise on the effectiveness of brand message on social networking sites (SNS) based on persuasion knowledge model. A 2 (social distance: close vs. distant) x 2 (source expertise: expert vs. non-expert) x 2 (product types; search goods vs. experience goods) experimental study was conducted. The structural equation modeling was used.
Break it to me gently: Twitter bypasses traditional media for breaking news, but where does it lead people next? • Edson Tandoc, Nanyang Technological University; Erika Johnson, University of Missouri • This study sought to determine the news consumption pattern of college students by asking where respondents get breaking news and where this source leads them next. Guided by the framework of niche theory and theory of relative constancy, we predicted that social media, particularly Twitter, is displacing traditional news media at least for the gratification of learning about the news first. The findings based on an online survey (N=224) supported this general assumption.
Issue-Specific Engagement: How Facebook Contributes to Opinion Leadership and Efficacy on Energy and Climate Issues • Emily Vraga, George Mason University; Ashley Anderson, Department of Journalism & Technical Communication; John Kotcher, George Mason University; Edward Maibach, George Mason University • While social media are increasingly studied for their political impact, not enough is known about how distinct forms of Facebook activity – such as general news consumption and expression vs. issue-specific activism – explain attitudes towards a particular issue. Using a Republican sample, we demonstrate that only issue-specific advocacy on Facebook is associated with a greater sense of personal influence on the issue of climate change, suggesting distinguishing between types of Facebook activity is important.
Can You See Me? Teenagers’ Self-Disclosure on Social Network Site, Regret of Posting, and Social Capital • Wenjing Xie; Cheeyoun Kang, Southern Illinois University Carbondale • Self-disclosure is popular on social networking site. Using survey data from Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, this study tries to provide an overall picture of teenagers’ self-disclosure on SNS. We further examine how demographic variables, SNS use, different types of friends, trust, and privacy control behavior influence self-disclosure, regret of posting on SNS, and social capital. We find that though teenagers reveal moderately high level of personal information on SNS, they don’t disclose all types of personal information equally. Hierarchical regression analysis shows that demographic variables and anecdotal factors such as SNS use frequency, network size, SNS friend type, trust, and privacy control behavior are related to self-disclosure on SNS and regret of posting. Self-disclosure and privacy control behavior also predict teenagers’ social capital.
How Public Relations Practitioners Perceive Social Media Platforms? A Media Richness Perspective • Ana Isabel Gonzalez Michel, Albertus Magnus College; Thomas E. Ruggiero, The University of Texas at El Paso; Kenneth “C.C.” Yang, The University of Texas at El Paso • Prior studies on the use of social media by public relations professionals lacked the theoretical framework to fully evaluate the richness of this emerging communication platform. On the basis of Media Richness Theory, the researchers assessed the perceptions of 162 PR professionals from a national sample to identify emerging media richness dimensions that are not the same as those in the previous media richness theory. This study suggests that social media not simply be compared to traditional media, but demonstrates a unique medium characteristics. Both theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.
Take a break: Examining College Students’ Multitasking Activities During a Study- or Work-Related Task • Shupei Yuan, Michigan State University; Anastasia Kononova, Michigan State University • The survey explored how frequently college students engage in multitasking with social media, texting/instant messaging (IM), and music while studying/working and what motivates them to multitask. Checking Facebook, texting/IM, and listening to music were the most popular activities. Five media differed by strongest multitasking motivations. Habit was the dominant motivation predicting frequency of using media during a work- or study-related task. Passing time, escape, socialization, and efficiency predicted the extent of multitasking on different instances.
A Review of the Scholarly Literature on the Role of Social Media in Social Capital • Weiwu Zhang, Texas Tech University; Alan Abitbol • This paper attempts to provide a critical review of the growing empirical literature on the influence of social network sites on social capital (2004-2014). It summarizes the major findings, identifies the thematic patterns of influences of SNSs on social capital in such diverse areas as trust, civic and political participation, bridging and bonding social capital, campaigns and mobilizing and negative outcomes, locates gaps in the current literature, and provides suggestions for future studies.
Student Papers
Nature and Effectiveness of Online Social Support for Intercultural Adaptation of Mainland Chinese Overseas Students • Liang Chen, Nanyang Technological University; Xiaodong Yang, Nanyang Technological University • Mainland Chinese students have been flocking to universities or colleges in Singapore. Inevitably, these students have encountered difficulty in adapting to their new life. An online social support group called Living in Singapore Group (LSg), a sub-forum of the most popular forum on Chinese overseas study created in April 2000, provides various types of social support messages for Mainland Chinese students in Singapore. This research explores the nature and effectiveness of these messages. A directed qualitative content analysis was applied in Study 1 to analyze 1,736 posted messages collected from July 6, 2012 to February 6, 2013.The results suggest that social support messages can be categorized into subcategories of the three existing main categories, namely, informational, instrumental, and emotional, as well as the new category called network support. In-depth interviews were conducted with 21 LSg members in Study 2. The results demonstrate that social support messages provided by this group have effectively helped Mainland Chinese overseas students in intercultural adaptation, especially in the early cross-cultural adaptive phase.
The displacement effect between competing social network services: Examining uses-and-gratifications of WeChat and Weibo in China • Di Cui; Guangsheng Huang • The worldwide proliferation of social network services necessitates a move beyond studying the adoption of any single social network service. However, little research has discussed the competition between different social network services. Taking the uses-and-gratification perspective, this study explores the potential displacement effect between two most popular social network services in China: WeChat and Weibo. Adopting both the media-centric and user-centric approaches, we attempted to explain the displacement effect by examining gratification-opportunities of and gratifications-obtained from WeChat and Weibo respectively. Based on an online survey (N = 395), we found that WeChat was displacing Weibo among young users. The growing preference on WeChat was driven by its instant messaging as gratification opportunity and sociability, entertainment and peer approval as gratifications obtained. Our analysis meanwhile reveals that the user-centered approach is more effective in explaining the displacement between similar social network services in competition.
Understanding the Behavior of Abstaining from Contributing to Product Reviews on the Web: Motivational and Attitudinal Approaches • Youngsun Kwak, University at Buffalo; Amanda Damiano, University at Buffalo; Ji Hye Choi, University at Buffalo • There are endless reviews one can read online about products. While many studies have examined a contributor’s side of product reviews, research is limited because only a small number of people write comments about products. This study evaluates those who abstain from contributing to product-reviewing on the web; specifically by employing motivational theories as well as attitudinal theories. Focus group interviews were undertaken as a way to gauge thoughts, opinions, and feelings of non-contributors. It was determined that there may be several reasons why people do not contribute to online product reviews, including lack of autonomy, feelings of having less competence, a weak sense of belonging, as well as a negative attitude toward product reviews in general. These findings serve as an important step in developing a questionnaire for future research. Furthermore, this information serves a practical use in providing the creators of these products with insightful consumer thoughts.
How Does the Audience Respond to Cancer Videos? A Content Analysis of YouTube Comments • Jingjing Han, Indiana University • This exploratory study examined how YouTube users respond to cancer knowledge-based videos. Language analysis was applied to understand the audience’s emotions, the way to process information and their most concerned themes. There are 3,453 comments on YouTube were analyzed in sentiment analysis and Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count Analysis (LIWC), while 200 comments were manually categorized into the fourteen themes. Results show that there are four top themes that are salient among the comments, i.e. giving cancer medical/treatment information, giving basic cancer knowledge, asking intelligent support about cancer, and appreciation for others’ support /video content. Furthermore, the audience processes the videos more emotionally than cognitively, and there are more negative responses to the videos. Interestingly, the positive valence of the message is positively correlated with the negative valence. Interpretations and implications were discussed.
Who use more emoticons? Who anthropomorphize more?: Cultural and Gender Differences in Emoticons Use on IM • Soyoung Jung, Syracuse University; Joon Kyung Kim, Syracuse University; Li Chen, Syracuse University • An online survey (N=110) examined how IM users use emotions when they are chatting through IM based on cultural and gender differences. Drawing on culture dimension theory and high- versus low-context culture theory, two independent variables were examined; the tendency to individualism/collectivism, and masculinity/femininity. Based on two popular platforms (Facebook Messenger and KakaoTalk), the results showed that there is a correlation between cultural/gender difference and emoticons use satisfaction, especially anthropomorphism tendency toward the emotions. The results showed that there is a correlation between cultural/gender difference and emoticons use satisfaction, especially Anthropomorphism. People who have the tendency towards collectivism showed greater satisfaction than those who have the tendency towards individualism. In addition, people who have the tendency towards femininity exhibited more satisfaction with emoticon use than those who have the tendency towards masculinity. As a result, the findings of this study suggest that individuals’ tendency to individualism/collectivism and masculinity/femininity has the correlation with their satisfaction with emoticon use in IM.
Examination of Perception and Evaluation for Smartphone Addiction during a Communication Blackout • Chang Sup Park • The smartphone, through its small size, ease of use, proliferation of free or cheap apps, and constant connectivity, changes our life in a way that goes well beyond what we experienced with previous media. This study examined smartphone users’ self-perception and evaluation for their addictive behaviors during a communication blackout that lasted six hours in recent South Korea. Based on the interview of 20 smartphone users, this study distinguished heavy smartphone users into two groups – people who depend on their smartphone emotionally and people who depend on it functionally. The current study found that the former group was more reluctant in acknowledge negative aspects of the smartphone than the latter group. In addition, functionally-dependent users were more willing to change their addictive behaviors than emotionally-dependent people. Heavy smartphone users, regardless of their type of overdependence, denied that they were addicted to the smartphone. Implications of the study are discussed.
Who Sets the News Agenda on Twitter? Journalists’ Posts During the 2013 Government Shutdown • Frank Michael Russell, University of Missouri/Missouri School of Journalism; Marina Hendricks; Heesook Choi; Elizabeth Conner Stephens • This study examines how journalists use Twitter, specifically whether any difference exists in linking and attribution behavior between journalists for traditional and online news organizations. An analysis was conducted of 40 journalists’ tweets during the 2013 government shutdown. When they were not linking to their own news organizations, journalists were more likely to link to traditional than online news sites. They also were found to prefer a politics frame over an impact frame.
Predictors of Male Players’ Harassment Behavior in Online Video Games • Wai Yen Tang, Ohio State University; Jesse Fox, Ohio State University • Online video game play affords connectivity and social interaction among players from around the world. This connectivity also brings undesirable behaviors, however, and online harassment is becoming a pervasive issue in the gaming community. In this study, we sought to determine what personality traits and game-related variables predicted harassment behaviors in online video games. Male players of online video games (N = 439) were invited to participate in an anonymous online survey. Similar to previous research on harassment in other domains, social dominance orientation and hostile sexism predicted higher levels of both sexual harassment and general harassment in online games. Game involvement and weekly play time were additional predictors for general harassment. Implications for the social gaming environment are discussed.
Journalists and Bloggers. Social media interpretive community in Nicaragua • Emilia Yang • This paper is an analysis of how journalists and bloggers of Nicaragua—a country where independent journalists are constantly harassed for trying to do their work—use social media to develop an interpretive community online. Debates and discussions within the community of journalists and bloggers created a virtual public sphere, and were analyzed through online observation, interviews, and a survey. The key findings are that social media have replaced analog forms of interaction among this community and are gradually creating cohesion among journalists and bloggers in Nicaragua. Respondents cited Twitter as the most useful social media platform for conversations about journalistic practices, common struggles, and other subjects related to the national news agenda. Social media are especially useful for discussing current political topics, most importantly, cases of governmental repression against journalists. The research infers that the online discourse among journalists and bloggers has created a sense of community and solidarity within the group, even creating feelings of a shared responsibility to add content and engage in online debates about current events.
The Implications of Social Capital for SNS Use: A New Trend with Moderating Effect of Communication Anxiety • Pei Zheng, University of Texas at Austin; Xiaoqian Li, University of Texas, Austin • This study suggests a new trend of how social capital would actually affect use of social networking sites (SNSs). Using the data from 568 college students in China, regression results show that both bridging and bonding social capital are positively associated with intensity of SNS use after controlling for key demographic factors. Moreover, communication anxiety is found to moderate the effect of social capital (bridging and bonding) on intensity of SNS use. Specifically, for students with lower communication anxiety, the relationships between bonding and bridging social capital and intensity of SNS use are stronger than do those with higher communication anxiety. Taken together, this study contributes to the literature of social capital and SNS use by examining the possible impact of social capital on SNS use. Also, the moderation effect of communication anxiety on the association between social capital and SNS use may be better explained when taking into account the collectivism cultural context of China. Connection and relationship is a central idea in Chinese society, therefore people regard social capital as interdependence even in the online environment. As a consequence, people who are more anxious in communication would be more concerned and careful in managing their online relationship than people who are less communication anxious, which lead to a weakened interaction between social capital and SNS use.
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