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Read the paper here: http://vitak.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/vitak-cscw2014-distance.pdf Abstract: The increasing ubiquity of information and communication technologies has dramatically impacted interpersonal communication and relationship maintenance processes. These technologies remove temporal and spatial constraints, enabling communication at a distance for low to no physical costs. Research has established that technologies such as email supplement other forms of communication in relationship maintenance, but to what extent do newer technologies—which contain a unique set of affordances—facilitate these processes? Furthermore, do SNS users engage in different practices through the site and obtain different relational benefits based on specific characteristics of the tie? Findings from a survey of adult Facebook users (N=415) indicate that geographically distant Facebook Friends, as well as those who rely on the site as their primary form of communication, engage in relationship maintenance strategies through the site to a greater extent and perceive the site to have a more positive impact on the quality of their relationships.
Citation preview
Facebook Makes the Heart Grow Fonder: Relationship Maintenance Strategies Among Geographically Dispersed and Communication-
Restricted Connections
Jessica VitakCollege of Information StudiesUniversity of [email protected] | @jvitak jessicavitak.com/cv
Credit: Norebbo
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Why relationship maintenance matters
Cre
dit
: Photo
s_by_L
is
#cscw2014 | @jvitak
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But being near friends isn’t always easy…
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Ways to connect distant ties
What do we mean by “distant,” anyway?
Letters (pen pals!)Phone (landline, mobile,
texts)Text-based CMC (email,
IM)Video-based CMC
(Skype, Google Hangouts)
Social network sites
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“I suspect that Facebook’s one great contribution has been to slow down that rate of relationship decay by allowing us to keep in touch with friends over long distances.”
--Robin Dunbar (2011, p. 83)
#cscw2014 | @jvitak
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How are people using Facebook to maintain relationships with different types of social
ties?
Is Facebook merely a supplement to to other forms of communication, or does it
enhance relational quality for certain types of relationship?
#cscw2014 | @jvitak
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Facebook Profile LayoutOctober 2012
Participants were asked to log into site, go to their profile and select Friend in top left position.
They entered name of person into a survey field.
Questions were then tailored to the selected Friend (e.g., Closeness item: “John and I have a strong connection”).#cscw2014 | @jvitak
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Why use this method?
Major weakness of relationship maintenance research is limited focus on strong tie relationships.
Many Facebook relationships are weak ties.
Furthermore, many Facebook relationships span significant geographic distance.
Dibble et al. (2012) Unidimensional Relationship Closeness Scale
#cscw2014 | @jvitak
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<30 mins
30-60min
1-2hr 2-4hr 4-6hr 6+hr0
30
60
90
120
150
# of
res
pond
ents
Reported Geographic Distance Between Friends(estimated driving distance)
34% of sample
28% of sample
#cscw2014 | @jvitak
M=3.13 (2+ hour drive)SD=2.05
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Strong ties who live near each other
Weak ties who live very far apart
#cscw2014 | @jvitak
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Facebook Relationship Maintenance
Supportive Communication (7 items): behaviors signaling social & emotional support; social grooming behaviors
Shared Interests (7 items): interactions on site surrounding shared likes, activities, etc. (e.g., TV show, sports team)
Passive Consumption (4 items): browsing Friend’s content without direct interaction
Social Information Seeking (5 items): mundane communication + discovering new things about Friend
#cscw2014 | @jvitak
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Facebook’s Impact on Relational Quality
Two new measures assessed the extent to which Facebook users felt their use of Facebook impacted their relationship with a specific Friend:
1.Facebook’s Impact on Relational Closeness (5 items):Facebook helps me understand (person’s name) better. Facebook has positively impacted my relationship with (person’s name).
2.Facebook’s Impact on Relational Stability (4 items):Without Facebook, (person’s name) and I would fall out of touch. Facebook plays an important role in maintaining my relationship with (person’s name).
#cscw2014 | @jvitak
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RQ1: Examining variance in communication frequency based
on geographic proximity
#cscw2014 | @jvitak
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Face-to-Face
Phone Calls
Texting Email IM Skype0
1
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3
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Private Messages
Wall Posts Like Content
Comment Visit Profile Browse Photos
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
Nearby Friends Far Away Friends * Statistically Significant Difference (t-test)
* * * * * *
Non
-Faceb
ook
Com
mu
nic
ati
on
Fre
qu
en
cy
Faceb
ook-S
pecifi
c
Com
mu
nic
ati
on
Fre
qu
en
cy
T-tests with ANCOVAs controlling for relational closeness
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H1 & H2: Geographic proximity,
relationship maintenance, & Facebook’s impact on
relational quality
#cscw2014 | @jvitak
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1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
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Nearby Friends Far Away Friends
Exte
nt
to w
hic
h t
hey a
gre
ed w
ith s
tate
ments
about
behavio
rs/o
utc
om
es
(1-5
Lik
ert
type s
cale
)
#cscw2014 | @jvitak
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H3 & H4: Facebook as primary form of communication, relationship
maintenance, & Facebook’s impact on relational quality
#cscw2014 | @jvitak
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How do you operationalize
Facebook as the primary form of communication
between a dyad?
Want high engagement in Facebook communication (e.g., posting on wall, commenting on updates) and low engagement in all other forms of communication (e.g., face-to-face, phone, email)
Final variable included 12.8% of participants with TradComm scores below 2.25 & FBComm scores above 3.
21.8% of responses
#cscw2014 | @jvitak
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Supportiv
e Com
munic
atio
n
Shared
Inte
rest
s
Passive
Con
sum
ption
Socia
l Info
rmat
ion S
eeki
ng
FB Im
pact o
n Clo
senes
s
FB Im
pact o
n Sta
bility
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
Exte
nt
to w
hic
h t
hey a
gre
ed w
ith s
tate
ments
about
behavio
rs/o
utc
om
es
(1-5
Lik
ert
type s
cale
)
Facebook is Primary Form of Communication
Facebook is Not Primary Form of Communication
#cscw2014 | @jvitak
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But what’s it all mean?Use of Facebook for relationship maintenance—and perceived relational benefits—vary by context
Suggested supplemental role of Facebook for closer (geographically & emotionally speaking) ties
Potential for enhancing role for weaker connections & keeping relationships from fading away
See Vitak (2012): Keeping Connected in the Facebook Age
#cscw2014 | @jvitak
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But what’s it all mean?
Facebook as a “virtual rolodex”Role of affordancesReduced transaction costsBenefits of masspersonal
communication
Media multiplexity considerations Is Facebook one or multiple
communication channels?How do newer communication
technologies reshape our understanding of media multiplexity?
Credit: arahinvegas
#cscw2014 | @jvitak
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Design Implications
Encourage interactions between users after a profile visit
Predicting Friends a user will want to interact with in the future
Look at interaction patterns with mutual friendsCustomize News Feed content
Focus on ways to not be creepy when encouraging interaction
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Thanks!
Jessica Vitak
University of Maryland’s iSchool
Email: [email protected] | Twitter: @jvitak
Find this paper at jessicavitak.com/cv
This project was part of my dissertation research, so a big shout-out to my graduate advisor, Nicole Ellison, for her Yoda-like wisdom on the project.
#cscw2014 | @jvitak