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
Bosau, Fischer & Koll – StudiVZ ICP 2008 Seite 4
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**
Bosau, Fischer & Koll – StudiVZ ICP 2008 Seite 10
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
Bosau, Fischer & Koll – StudiVZ ICP 2008 Seite 13
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
Bosau, Fischer & Koll – StudiVZ ICP 2008 Seite 14
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