StudiVZ - Determinants of social networking and dissemination of information among students -...

University of CologneUniversity of Cologne

Department of Economic and Department of Economic and Social PsychologySocial Psychology

Christian Bosau, Oliver Fischer & Marcus Koll

-- StudiVZ StudiVZ ––Determinants of Social Networking and Determinants of Social Networking and

Dissemination of Information among Dissemination of Information among StudentsStudents

Bosau, Fischer & Koll – StudiVZ ICP 2008 Seite 2

Purpose Purpose of of the studythe study

Main question: What are reasons for using StudiVZ?

Detailed Questions:

What are the reasons for joining the network?

Which factors determine specific activities/ways of using the network?

What are the reasons for the disclosure of personal information in the network?

Potentially relevant factors are:

personality

motives of media use

sociodemographics

Bosau, Fischer & Koll – StudiVZ ICP 2008 Seite 3

The studyThe study

Method:

online questionnaire

link posted via mailing-lists and personal emails

at the end of 2007 before StudiVZ introduced new user options regarding security and privacy

students from universities in Cologne and Bad Honnef

723 participants: 645 StudiVZ-members, 69 non-members

age: mean = 23.9 SD = 3.7; male = 36%, female = 64%

„digital natives“: 3.4 hours internet usage per day, familiar with allgeneral internet tools

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WhyWhy do do studentsstudents becomebecome a a membermember??

Big FiveBig Five GenderGender AgeAge Relation-ship

Relation-ship

StudiVZ-membership

StudiVZ-membership no no

younger peopler = -.40**

more singles

t=2.85**, d=.22

additional factor:willingness to share information online in general:

• r = .20** the more likely people are willing to share information in the internet, the more likely they are a member of StudiVZ

additional factor:willingness to share information online in general:

• r = .20** the more likely people are willing to share information in the internet, the more likely they are a member of StudiVZ

Caution: only 9.5% were not a member of StudiVZ

Bosau, Fischer & Koll – StudiVZ ICP 2008 Seite 5

Explaining behaviourExplaining behaviour

Usage of StudiVZ (dependent):

quantitative usage:frequency of log-ins

number of friends on the friends-listnumber of groups, students are a member of

qualitative usage:kind of information in the profile

Descriptive results:

47% several times per day, 20% daily2/3 at least daily

mean: 87 friends, SD: 64

mean: 23 groups, SD: 20

personrelated & group info: mostly

hobbies/freetime: some

contact details, professional: seldom

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Explaining behaviourExplaining behaviour

Explaining factors (independent):

personality: Big Fivemotives:

classical media usage motivesspecific StudiVZ-motives

sociodemographics:agegenderrelationship status

Usage of StudiVZ (dependent):

quantitative usage:frequency of log-ins

number of friends on the friends-listnumber of groups, students are a member of

qualitative usage:kind of information in the profile

Bosau, Fischer & Koll – StudiVZ ICP 2008 Seite 7

Why Why do do people use StudiVZpeople use StudiVZ??

1) to stay in contact/keep in touch (α = .81); 7 items

3) to find new (similar) people (α = .76); 4 items

4) high social status (α = .77); 3 items

5) positive self-portrayal/-image (α = .70); 2 items

6) easier interpersonal approaching on the internet (α = .72); 4 items

2) daily importance (α = .77); 5 items

StudiVZ-motives:Development of new scales (based on literature, experts, brainstorming with members, etc.), in total 23 items:

Descriptive results:• contact factor: highest agreement• factor 2-5: medium agreement• online approaching: low agreement

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Quantity Quantity of of usage usage -- 11

Big FiveBig Five media usage motives:escapism, fun, being informed, activity

media usage motives:escapism, fun, being informed, activity

Log-insLog-ins extraversion: β = .17**fun: β = .33** activity: β = .25**

number of friends

number of friends

number of groups

number of groups

extraversion: β = .25**activity: β = .18** fun: β = .12*

activity: β = .14** fun: β = .13*

no high coefficients (i.e. >.10)

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Quantity Quantity of of usage usage -- 22

StudiVZ usage motives:stay in contact, daily importance, new people, social status, self-image, online approaching

StudiVZ usage motives:stay in contact, daily importance, new people, social status, self-image, online approaching

Log-insLog-ins daily importance: β = .52** stay in contact: β = .20**

number of friends

number of friends

number of groups

number of groups

daily importance: β = .18**stay in contact: β = .15**

daily importance: β = .22**

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Quantity Quantity of of usage usage -- 33

GenderGender AgeAge Relation-ship

Relation-ship

Log-insLog-ins noyounger people

more oftenr = -.35**

singlesmore oftent=3.04**; d=.24

number of friends

number of friends no

number of groups

number of groups

singles have more groupst=2.79**; d=.23

men havemore friendst=3.51**; d=.30

younger peoplehave more friends

r = -.23**

younger peoplehave more groups

r = -.25**no

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Quality Quality of of usage usage -- 11

Big FiveBig Five media usage motives:escapism, fun, being informed, activity

media usage motives:escapism, fun, being informed, activity

kind of information

kind of information

contact details contact details

group info group info hobbies/freetimehobbies/freetime

personrelatedpersonrelated

professionalprofessional

escapism: β = .13**

fun: β = .22**

fun: β = .18**

fun: β = .14**

neuroticism: β = -.12**

no high coefficients (i.e. >.10)

no high coefficients (i.e. >.10)

no high coefficients (i.e. >.10)

nofun: β = .31**

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Quality Quality of of usage usage -- 22

StudiVZ usage motives:contact, daily importance, new people,

social status, self-image, online approaching

StudiVZ usage motives:contact, daily importance, new people,

social status, self-image, online approaching

no high coefficients (i.e. >.11)

stay in contact: β = .25** new people: β = .13**daily importance: β = .25**, stay in contact: β = .21** no high coefficients (i.e. >.12)

kind of information

kind of information

contact details contact details

group info group info hobbies/freetimehobbies/freetime

personrelatedpersonrelated

professionalprofessional

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Quality Quality of of usage usage -- 33

GenderGender AgeAge Relation-ship

Relation-ship

men: t=3.50**; d=.30

nosingles: t=2.14*; d=.17

no

no

younger people =more information

r = -.29**

r = -.20**

r = -.21**no

no

kind of information

kind of information

contact details contact details

group info group info hobbies/freetimehobbies/freetime

personrelatedpersonrelated

professionalprofessional

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Privacy ProtectionPrivacy Protection??

Do students protect their private information?

students who DON‘T protect their profile put in MORE information (r = .18**)!

is it just naivety?

37,2%

24,9%

31,2%

34,1%

62,8%

75,1%

68,8%

65,9%

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

hidden profile NO hidden profile

„I can‘t see who looks at my profile“ (95%)

„External companies can watch my profile“ (88%)

„I don‘t have control over distribution of data“ (76%)

„Strangers can see my profile“ (86%)

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ConclusionConclusion

StudiVZ-Users voluntarily reveal a lot of information about themselves to the internet community

change of the boundary of private and public information

especially among younger people

some correlations with relationship status, almost no with gender

only some support for personality differences:the StudiVZ-User is more likely an outgoing extrovert than an anxious neurotic

StudiVZ as the daily drug for „contact-addicts“?

finally: is it just fun and entertainment?

Bosau, Fischer & Koll – StudiVZ ICP 2008 Seite 16

Thank you very much for your attention!

Comments and questions can be sent to:Christian Bosau

christian.bosau@uni-koeln.de