StudiVZ - Different gratifications for different types of users - Vortrag DGPs Fachgruppentagung Media Psychologie Duisburg-Essen 2009

University of CologneUniversity of Cologne

Department of Department of EconomicEconomic and and SocialSocial PsychologyPsychology

Christian Bosau, Jana Becks & Lisa Aelker

-- StudiVZStudiVZ ––Different gratifications for different types Different gratifications for different types

of usersof users

Bosau, Becks & Aelker – StudiVZ 6th Conference of the Media Psychology Division, 2009 Seite 2

PurposePurpose of of thethe studystudy

Main question: Why is StudiVZ one of the most succesful websites?

Facts about StudiVZ:It‘s NOT a website that addresses only a special user group (like Blogs, Wiki-writers, online-gamers, etc.)

instead: almost every student is a member

Possible reasons:all human beings have a relatively high need for affiliation

StudiVZ serves as a mean to satisfy this need, but in different ways for different people

extraverted and introverted people may differ in their gratifications


TwoTwo versionsversions of of thethe debatedebate

„rich-get-richer“-hypothesis:

extraverted, highly sociable people get more social benefits from using social network sites (SNS)

e.g. SNS serve as a mean to manage their social network more effectively (Kraut et al.,

2002); especially regarding weak ties (Ellison, Steinfield & Lampe, 2007)

“social compensation”-hypothesis:introverted people, lacking social support offline, benefit from the internet more, because they can form (new) connections more easily (McKenna & Bargh, 1998)

anonymity and less fear of being rejected can stimulate self-disclosure (Derlega et al., 1993)

using Facebook may be helping to overcome barriers faced by students who have low self-esteem (Ellison, Steinfield & Lampe, 2007)


TheThe studystudy

Method:online questionnaire (posted via mailing-lists and personal emails, snowballsampling in StudiVZ) in autumn 2008366 participants (mainly students from universities in Cologne, Bad Honnef)age: mean=24,2 SD=3,4 male=36%, female=64%

Former studies:Measurement of effects onlyonlineno comparison of real life and online behaviour

Our study:asking for behaviour in real life AND in StudiVZcomparison of both

Research question / hypotheses:Extraverted people are expected to have more social activities in real life.Do they benefit from StudiVZ more and they do even more socializing online than introverted people, so the “rich-get-richer”?Or, do introverted people catch up and they do more socializing online than in real life, so “social deficiencies can be compensated”?


Real life:How many friends/acquaintancesdo you have?

zero friends vs. zero acq.1 to 2 friends vs. 1 to 4 acq.3 to 4 friends vs. 5 to 9 acq.…

DifferencesDifferences in real lifein real life

3,343,78

2,80

3,36

2

2,5

3

3,5

4

4,5

friends acquaintancesam

ount

(sca

led)

Extraverted Introverted

F(1) = 11,70; p < .01; η² = 0,04

F(1) = 8,54; p < .01; η² = 0,03

2,342,10

1,5

2

2,5

3

Offline

frequ

ency

of s

ocia

l act

ivie

s


Social offline-activities (α = .77):How many times do you …

go to the cinema with friends?go to the pub with friends?invite friends to your flat?call friends?…

F(1) = 18,76; p < .00; η² = 0,06


DifferencesDifferences in in StudiVZStudiVZ--usageusage

However, NO differencesregarding amount of use:

frequency of log-ins

duration per day (minutes)

number of group membership

Extraverted and Introverted use it in

almost the same way1,96 1,89

1,5

2

2,5

3

Offline

frequ

ency

of s

ocia

l act

ivie

s


Social online-activities (α = .85):

NO EFFECT (F(1) = 1,13; p > .05)

NO differences regarding kind of use

How many times do you …„gruschel“ other people?search for old friends?chat via „Plauderkasten“?found a new group?…

:


DifferencesDifferences in in socialsocial behaviourbehaviourofflineoffline and and onlineonlineSame scale offline & online (α = .77):

If I like a person, I approach him/her (I „gruschel“ him/her).If I go clubbing (If I‘m in StudiVZ), I often get to know new people.If I‘m bored, I call friends (I write messages to friends in StudiVZ).reversed: Normally I wait to be called instead of calling friends (wait for messages instead of writing others).…

Clear difference „Offline“Simple main effect: F(1) = 139,41; p < .00; η² = 0,32

NO difference „Online“Simple main effect: F(1) = 1,56; p > .05

Introverted do it more „Online“Simple main effect: F(1) = 50,59; p < .00; η² = 0,15

Extraverted do it more „Offline“Simple main effect: F(1) = 7,84; p < .01; η² = 0,03

Clearly: It‘s social

compensation?


DifferencesDifferences in in behaviouralbehavioural resultsresults

F(1) = 7,08; p < .01; η² = 0,03 F(1) = 7,54; p < .01; η² = 0,03

F(1) = 8,34; p < .01; η² = 0,03

133,06

72,80

0

50

100

150

200

pictures

amou

nt (e

xact

num

ber)


67,22

44,15

0

50

100

linked on picturesam

ount

(exa

ct n

umbe

r)


Pictures in StudiVZ

Not the „rich-get-richer“?

At least „rich-stay-rich“!

147,05117,94

0

50

100

150

200

'friends' in StudiVZ

amou

nt (e

xact

num

ber)


F(1) = 7,04; p < .01; η² = 0,02

Number of StudiVZ friends

5,44

3,70

2

3

4

5

6

7

photo folders

amou

nt (e

xact

num

ber)



MotivesMotives

Reasons for using StudiVZ:because I want to stay in touch with friends

1,07

1,55

1

2

talk about myselfmore than in real life

agre

emen

t (sc

aled

)


4,55

4,29

4

5

stay in touch

agre

emen

t (sc

aled

)


F(1) = 5,80; p < .05; η² = 0,02

because I dare to talk more about myselfonline than in real life

F(1) = 22,43; p < .000; η² = 0,07


MotivesMotives

Need for affiliation

Psychological Motives (Multi-Motiv-Gitter):

4,89

5,54

4

5

6

7

fear of being rejected

amou

nt


5,64 5,44

4

5

6

7

need for affiliation

amou

nt


NO EFFECTF(1) = 0,56; p > .05

Fear of being rejected

F(1) = 4,16; p < .05; η² = 0,014

StudiVZ can help introverted people to compensate their fearof being rejected


ConclusionConclusion

„rich-get-richer“ or “social compensation”?

however, extraverted people still have MORE friends and MORE pictures online and they use it MORE often to stay in touch with their large network

so, the “rich ARE richer”, although not “rich-get-richer”

introverted people are catching up compared to social behaviour in real life and behave online in the same way as extraverted people

so, they compensate online their social deficiencies from real life and their fear of being rejected

For introverted people: It‘s „social compensation“. However, for extraverted people the „rich-get-richer“-ideacan not be neglected totally.


Thank you very much for your attention!

Comments and questions can be sent to:Dr. Christian Bosau

[email protected]

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StudiVZ - Different gratifications for different types of users - Vortrag DGPs Fachgruppentagung Media Psychologie Duisburg-Essen 2009