Facebook as a Social Support Access Point: Exploring the Solicitation of Social Support Subtypes
Keywords:
Facebook, Facebook Intensity, Social Support, Interpersonal MatteringAbstract
In this study, we assessed distinct types of social support afforded from Facebook use. We aimed to compare social support subtypes for their salience on Facebook – while holding constant salient interpersonal mechanisms (e.g., interpersonal mattering). Survey data was collected from students enrolled at a large Midwestern university (n = 247). Our findings showed that Facebook intensity was positively associated with perceived social support afforded from Facebook use, with Facebook esteem support standing out as the most salient social support subtype on Facebook (b = 0.32, SE = 0.05, p < .001, R^2 = .16, n = 246). However, we did not expect Facebook intensity to be positively associated with Facebook esteem-support. The counter finding could suggest that we underestimated the potential esteem boosting functions afforded by Facebook use and perhaps overestimated the effect of negative social comparisons. In addition, we found that interpersonal mattering was inversely associated with Facebook belonging support (b = -1.10, SE = 0.33, p < .01). Interpersonal mattering was positively associated with each of the other three Facebook social support sub-scales – net of the positive effect of Facebook intensity. Our study therefore provides evidence that belonging support is potentially one of the most prevalent forms of social support derived from Facebook use, among college students that have a low sense of interpersonal mattering. Implications, data limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.References
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Rayle, A. D., & Chung, K. Y. (2007). Revisiting first-year college students' mattering: Social support, academic stress, and the mattering experience. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 9, 21-37. https://doi.org/10.2190/X126-5606-4G36-8132
Rosenberg, M., & McCullough, B. C. (1981). Mattering: Inferred significance and mental health among adolescents. Research in community & mental health, 2, 163-182.
Sarason BR, Sarason IG, Pierce GR. (1990). Social support: An interactional view. Oxford, England: John Wiley & Sons.
Sheldon, P. (2016). Self-monitoring, covert narcissism, and sex as predictors of self-presentational activities on Facebook. The Journal of Social Media in Society, 5, 70-91. http://thejsms.org/tsmri/index.php/TSMRI/article/view/202
Shensa, A., Sidani, J. E., yi Lin, L., Bowman, N. D., & Primack, B. A. (2016). Social media use and perceived emotional support among US young adults. Journal of community health, 41, 541-549.
Thoits, P. A. (2011). Mechanisms linking social ties and support to physical and mental health. Journal of health and social behavior, 52, 145-161. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022146510395592
Tromholt, M. (2016). The Facebook experiment: quitting facebook leads to higher levels of well-being. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 19, 661-666. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2016.0259
Wallston, B. S., Alagna, S. W., DeVellis, B. M., & DeVellis, R. F. (1983). Social support and physical health. Health psychology, 2, 367-391. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.2.4.367
Zuo, A. (2014). Measuring up: Social comparisons on Facebook and contributions to self-esteem and mental health (Doctoral dissertation, University of Michigan).
Baker, D. A., & Algorta, G. P. (2016). The relationship between online social networking and depression: a systematic review of quantitative studies. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 19, 638-648. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2016.0206
Bauman, E. M., Haaga, D. A., Kaltman, S., & Dutton, M. A. (2012). Measuring social support in battered women: Factor structure of the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL). Violence against women, 18, 30-43. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801212436523
Beekman, J. B., Stock, M. L., & Marcus, T. (2016). Need to belong, not rejection sensitivity, moderates cortisol response, self-reported stress, and negative affect following social exclusion. The Journal of social psychology, 156, 131-138. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00224545.2015.1071767
Begen, F. M., & Turner-Cobb, J. M. (2015). Benefits of belonging: Experimental manipulation of social inclusion to enhance psychological and physiological health parameters. Psychology & health, 30, 568-582. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2014.991734
Best, P., Manktelow, R., & Taylor, B. (2014). Online communication, social media and adolescent wellbeing: A systematic narrative review. Children and Youth Services Review, 41, 27-36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.03.001
Blight, M. G., Jagiello, K., & Ruppel, E. K. (2015). “Same stuff different day:” A mixed-method study of support seeking on Facebook. Computers in Human Behavior, 53, 366-373. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.07.029
Brown, S. L., Nesse, R. M., Vinokur, A. D., & Smith, D. M. (2003). Providing social support may be more beneficial than receiving it: Results from a prospective study of mortality. Psychological science, 14, 320-327. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9280.14461
Cohen, S., & Hoberman, H. M. (1983). Positive events and social supports as buffers of life change stress. Journal of applied social psychology, 13, 99-125. DOI: 10.1111/j.15591816.1983.tb02325.x
Cohen, S., & McKay, G. (1984). Social support, stress and the buffering hypothesis: A theoretical analysis. Handbook of psychology and health, 4, 253-267.
Delistamati, E., Samakouri, M. A., Davis, E. A., Vorvolakos, T., Xenitidis, K., & Livaditis, M. (2006). Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL)-college version: Validation and application in a greek sample. International journal of social psychiatry, 52, 552-560. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020764006074184
Dixon, A. L. (2007). Mattering in the later years: Older adults' experiences of mattering to others, purpose in life, depression, and wellness. Adultspan Journal, 6, 83-95. DOI 10.1002/j.2161-0029.2007.tb00034.x
de Vries, D. A., & Kühne, R. (2015). Facebook and self-perception: Individual susceptibility to negative social comparison on Facebook. Personality and Individual Differences, 86, 217-221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2015.05.029
Duggan M, Ellison NB, Lampe C, Lenhart A, & Madden M. (2015). Social media update. Pew Research Center.
Ellison, N. B., Steinfield, C., & Lampe, C. (2007). The benefits of Facebook “friends:” Social capital and college students’ use of online social network sites. Journal of Computer‐Mediated Communication, 12, 1143-1168. DOI 10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00367.x
Festinger, L. (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human relations, 7, 117-140. https://doi.org/10.1177/001872675400700202
House JS. (1981) Work, stress, and social support reading. MA: Addison-Wesley.
Kendler, K. S. (1997). Social support: a genetic-epidemiologic analysis. American Journal of Psychiatry, 154, 1398-1404. https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.154.10.1398
Lee, S. Y. (2014). How do people compare themselves with others on social network sites?: The case of Facebook. Computers in Human Behavior, 32, 253-260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2013.12.009
Leung, L. (2015). A Panel Study on the Effects of Social Media Use and Internet Connectedness on Academic Performance and Social Support. International Journal of Cyber Behavior, Psychology and Learning (IJCBPL), 5, 1-16. DOI 10.4018/ijcbpl.2015010101
Lynch, J. G. (2012). Perceived Stress and the Buffering Effect of Perceived Social Support on Facebook (Doctoral dissertation, Antioch University New England). http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=antioch1344533616
Malecki, C. K., & Demaray, M. K. (2003). What Type of Support Do They Need? Investigating Student Adjustment as Related to Emotional, Informational, Appraisal, and Instrumental Support. School psychology quarterly, 18, 231-252. http://dx.doi.org/10.1521/scpq.18.3.231.22576
Manago, A. M., Taylor, T., & Greenfield, P. M. (2012). Me and my 400 friends: the anatomy of college students' Facebook networks, their communication patterns, and well-being. Developmental psychology, 48, 369-380. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0026338
Marshall, T. C. (2012). Facebook surveillance of former romantic partners: Associations with postbreakup recovery and personal growth. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 15, 521-526. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2012.0125
Petersen, G. E. (2014). Frequency of communication on Facebook as a factor in four dimensions of perceived social support (Doctoral dissertation, University of Denver).
Rayle, A. D., & Chung, K. Y. (2007). Revisiting first-year college students' mattering: Social support, academic stress, and the mattering experience. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 9, 21-37. https://doi.org/10.2190/X126-5606-4G36-8132
Rosenberg, M., & McCullough, B. C. (1981). Mattering: Inferred significance and mental health among adolescents. Research in community & mental health, 2, 163-182.
Sarason BR, Sarason IG, Pierce GR. (1990). Social support: An interactional view. Oxford, England: John Wiley & Sons.
Sheldon, P. (2016). Self-monitoring, covert narcissism, and sex as predictors of self-presentational activities on Facebook. The Journal of Social Media in Society, 5, 70-91. http://thejsms.org/tsmri/index.php/TSMRI/article/view/202
Shensa, A., Sidani, J. E., yi Lin, L., Bowman, N. D., & Primack, B. A. (2016). Social media use and perceived emotional support among US young adults. Journal of community health, 41, 541-549.
Thoits, P. A. (2011). Mechanisms linking social ties and support to physical and mental health. Journal of health and social behavior, 52, 145-161. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022146510395592
Tromholt, M. (2016). The Facebook experiment: quitting facebook leads to higher levels of well-being. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 19, 661-666. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2016.0259
Wallston, B. S., Alagna, S. W., DeVellis, B. M., & DeVellis, R. F. (1983). Social support and physical health. Health psychology, 2, 367-391. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.2.4.367
Zuo, A. (2014). Measuring up: Social comparisons on Facebook and contributions to self-esteem and mental health (Doctoral dissertation, University of Michigan).
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