Self-presentational motivation may play an influential role in online social media and networking behavior (e.g. posting on Facebook). This form of motivation can be described as the level at which an individual worries about other individuals’ perceptions of him, how necessary it is for him to project a certain self-image to others, depending on the consequences (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012). Individuals with strong self-presentational motivation believe it is extremely important to display oneself in a specific way to others. This behavior and way of thinking may be observed in online social networking environments such as Facebook, in which users are provided with tools (e.g. posts, profiles, avatars) for sharing personal information about themselves. Thus the focus of this blog is to explore how self-presentational motives may be influenced by personality, and whether self-construal can predict self-presentational motivation in an online social networking environment.
In a study conducted by Seidman (2012), the influence of personality on self-presentational motives were examined through assessment of subjects’ Facebook usage. One hundred eighty four undergrads participated in the study for extra credit, which consisted of one hundred thirty three females and fifty one males. The method Seidman utilized to evaluate subjects’ self-presentational use for Facebook included 6 Likert scales, with 7-points for measurement: 2 self-presentational behavior scales, 1 attention-seeking motivation scale, and 3 scales for self-aspect expression on Facebook. In addition, Goldberg’s Big Five was studied in subjects, utilizing 5-point Likert scales for trait ratings. As a result of the study, self-presentation’s greatest predictors were lower conscientiousness and higher neuroticism. Seidman concluded that Facebook may be utilized as a protected zone for self-presentation (e.g. ideal and hidden self-aspects) by neurotic people, whereas people that are conscientious present themselves online with more caution.
In addition to how self-presentational motives may be influenced by personality, studies have been conducted on self-construal’s potential for predicting self-presentational motivation in an online social networking environment. For example, Long & Zhang (2014) studied online social networking subjects from Britain and Japan (to examine differences in individualistic vs. collectivistic cultural values) in order to find associations between online social networking behavior and self-presentational motivation, as well as the differences in motives based on self-construal variation. British participants included twenty seven men and eighty two women (ages ranging from fifty seven to sixteen years), whereas Japanese participants included fifty five men and seventy nine women (ages ranging from sixty three to sixteen years). Participants were asked regarding their gender, age, and patterns of online social networking use (amount of social network friends, log in frequency, and amount of time each week). Owe’s scale (includes measurement items such as self-reliance, uniqueness, and self-determination) was utilized to measure independent and interdependent self-construal, with ratings based on a nine-point Likert scale. Participants were also questioned regarding their motivations for posting behavior, as well as their reasons for possibly refraining from posting specific things.
Long and Zhang (2014) found evidence that most of the motivations (3 in Japanese group, and 4 out of 5 in British group) were predicted by variables of self-construal. However, since self-presentation is the focus of this blog, we will observe the results related to this type motive. As a result of the study, Japanese subjects highly regarded retaining a privacy through information withholding, however, these participants recognized that evoking replies from other individuals was a powerful motivator for sharing info online. Additionally, interdependent British subjects were more motivated by the expectation of a reply from other individuals than independent British subjects. Long and Zhang provided a possible explanation for the differences in motivation in British and Japanese participants. Japan does not take personal self-construal into account, but still focuses on the potential for online networking to offer “social connections”. On the other hand, in the United Kingdom, significance of “reciprocity” varies based on the person’s own approval the significance of “social relationships”.
In conclusion, self-presentational motives can be present in online social networking environments such as Facebook. Based on Seidman’s (2012), we observed that personality may influence self-presentational motivations in OSN activities. Additionally, in Long and Zhang’s (2014) study we observed that self-construals may predict motives and cultural contexts may influence self-construals and self-presentational motivations in OSN behaviors. These studies provide interesting information regarding self-presentational motives in an OSN environment, however, as Long and Zhang (2014) pointed out, research focusing on self-presentational motivations for online social networking behavior and other factors influencing why individuals participate or do not participate in online social activities is lacking. Some studies have shed light on the association between self-presentational motivation and online social networking behaviors and preferences, but more exploration in OSN is needed in order to gain a better understanding for the reason and motives behind individuals’ OSN activity.
References
Long, K. & Zhang, X. (2014). The Role of Self-Construal in Predicting Self-Presentational Motives for Online Social Network Use in the UK and Japan. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 17, 454-459. doi:10.1089/cyber.2012.0506
Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., and Coutts, L. M. (Eds.) (2012). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Seidman, G. (2012). Self-presentation and belonging on Facebook: How personality influences social media use and motivations. Personality and Individual Differences, 54, 402-407. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2012.10.009