Attitudes toward Self-Disclosure on Facebook: A Review of Perception, Emotion and Behavior in University Students

A number of social networking platforms have emerged as a result of the development of information and communication technology which have become increasingly user-friendly and full with valuable features. The social networking site with most users is Facebook. Teenagers, particularly college students use Facebook most frequently to study, gain information, entertain themselves and connect with others through self-disclosing personal information on the Facebook profile page. This quantitative study aimed to analyze the attitude of pedagogical students regarding self-disclosure on Facebook as represented through cognition, emotion and behavior concerning academic achievement. The survey was completed by 535university student’s majority in pedagogy. There were 41 students who used it for less than three years between three to five years by 218 students and 276 students who use it more than five years. The questionnaire was self-reported by participants to assess university students' attitudes toward self-disclosure on Facebook. The results indicate that pedagogical students with excellent academic achievement and more than five years of Facebook experience had the highest-level attitude toward self-disclosure on Facebook. The results indicate a positive relationship between cognition, emotion and influence factors students' Facebook attitudes. Future research on methods that enhance student positive disclosure can benefit from this study. Future research should examine how self-disclosure on Facebook relates to other aspects, such as Facebook usage time, financial state and perception of advantages and its disadvantages of Facebook in order to evaluate students' attitudes objectively

Sickle cell anaemia and the experiences of young people living with the condition

This qualitative literature review examines the experiences of young people with Sickle Cell Anaemia (SCA). Sickle cell anaemia (SCA) is a condition acknowledged for its unpredictability, painful episodes and life threatening nature. The aim was to explore the impact SCA has on young people and the experiences they face. After reviewing potential articles found from the EBSCOhost platform, an inclusion and exclusion criteria was used and six appropriate studies were found with the majority of the participants in the 10-25 age range. However, one study had some participants in the early childhood and another had some of the sample in the young adult age range. These articles concentrated on the UK and North America instead of a broader international experience. The critical appraisal skills programme (CASP) was then used to evaluate the articles found. Thematic analysis identified three themes: acceptance, support and unpredictability, with subthemes of spirituality and discrimination. It was clear that SCA affected multiple areas of young peoples’ lives, and health professionals need to consider young people’s views. The terms Sickle Cell Anaemia and Sickle Cell Disease are used interchangeably throughout this review

Studying online support communities: Investigating network patterns and characteristics of social support

People’s activities on the internet have expanded from mainly retrieving information to communicating with each other in virtual settings. Thus, research investigating social interactions in online communities is becoming more and more important. However, the multi-faceted approaches of existing studies for the analysis of online communities make it difficult to combine the findings into a comprehensive understanding. This shows the need for holistic investigations of online communities. This thesis provides such a holistic approach by investigating a combination of different aspects of a selected online support community for older people. MOSuC (Model of Online Support Communities), a model describing the key aspects of online support communities was developed based on existing theories of computer-mediated communication (CMC) as well as theoretical perspectives on social support. Five studies were conducted, each addressing one of the different aspects of the case study community: (i) the message content, (ii) the conversations structure, (iii) the social network of related community members, (iv) the roles that online community members take on, and (vi) the taget population’s needs concerning the exchange of social support in online communities. The findings of these individual studies were then combined in context of MOSuC in order to provide a holistic description of the community. As a result, this thesis provides detailed insight into the characteristics of the case study community as well as the interplay and dependencies between different aspects of the community. Based on the integration of multiple studies, the thesis sheds light on two main issues: the characteristics of the individual aspects of the community as well as how these aspects are related to and affect each other. In addition to the findings of the studies, the thesis also contributes MOSuC, which serves both as a theoretical framework of the aspects of online support communities, as well as a practical tool for integrating the individual studies. In addition, the application, modification and integration of multiple methods in this thesis provide a novel methodological way for an integrative analysis of online support communities

Informational Privacy and Self-Disclosure Online: A Critical Mixed-Methods Approach to Social Media

This thesis investigates the multifaceted processes that have contributed to normalising identifiable self-disclosure in online environments and how perceptions of informational privacy and self-disclosure behavioural patterns have evolved in the relatively brief history of online communication. Its investigative mixed-methods approach critically examines a wide and diverse variety of primary and secondary sources and material to bring together aspects of the social dynamics that have contributed to the generalised identifiable self-disclosure. This research also utilises the results of the exploratory statistical as well as qualitative analysis of an extensive online survey completed by UCL students as a snapshot in time. This is combined with arguments developed from an analysis of existing published sources and looks ahead to possible future developments. This study examines the time when people online proved to be more trusting, and how users of the Internet responded to the development of the growing societal need to share personal information online. It addresses issues of privacy ethics and how they evolved over time to allow a persistent association of online self-disclosure to real-life identity that had not been seen before the emergence of social network sites. The resistance to identifiable self-disclosure before the widespread use of social network sites was relatively resolved by a combination of elements and circumstances. Some of these result from the demographics of young users, users' attitudes to deception, ideology and trust-building processes. Social and psychological factors, such as gaining social capital, peer pressure and the overall rewarding and seductive nature of social media, have led users to waive significant parts of their privacy in order to receive the perceived benefits. The sociohistorical context allows this research to relate evolving phenomena like the privacy paradox, lateral surveillance and self-censorship to the revamped ethics of online privacy and self-disclosure

Research methods on the Internet

This chapter considers how the various internet communication technologies discussed in Section I can and have been used to support, and arguably transform, social and behavioural research methods. Focus here is on primary research, that is, "the acquisition and analysis of data to produce novel evidence and research findings" (Hewson, Laurent and Vogel, forthcoming). Primary research on the internet has been referred to as internet-mediated research (IMR) (Hewson et al. 2003) and this term will be adopted throughout the present chapter. The chapter will not consider secondary research on the internet, such as conducting a literature review or creating a bibliography; for useful guides on the latter see Hewson et al. (2003); Ó Dochartaigh (2012). The structure of the chapter is as follows: overview and history of IMR; scope and range of IMR methods, with illustrations; key issues and debates in IMR (data quality, sampling, ethics); future possibilities and directions

How Acceptable Is This? How User Experience Factors Can Broaden our Understanding of the Acceptance of Privacy Trade-Offs

Privacy is a timely topic that is increasingly scrutinized in the public eye. In spite of privacy and security breaches, people still frequently compromise their privacy in exchange for certain benefits of a technology or a service. This study builds on both technology acceptance (TA) and user experience (UX) research in order to explore and build hypotheses regarding additional dimensions that might play a role in the acceptability of privacy tradeoffs that are not currently accounted for in TA models. Using four scenarios describing situations with potential privacy trade-offs, we conducted a focus group study with 8 groups of participants (N = 32). Our results suggest that factors influencing privacy trade-offs go beyond existing TA factors alone. A technology's perceived usefulness plays an important role, as well as dimensions related to context, previous experiences, perceived autonomy and the feeling of control over the data being shared

A typology of conflict resolution strategies in e-mail communication

E-mail is used extensively to share ideas, discuss issues and to collaborate in the management of projects. However, it is often considered to be a lean medium of communication, epistolary in style, and lacking in both the verbal and non-verbal cues found in face-to-face communication. These limitations can predispose the message to misunderstandings between interlocutors leading to tensions and the use of aggressive tactics. Ensuing conflicts, if badly managed, can be both destructive and costly. The main premise for this research is that conflict resolution strategies, similar to those found in interpersonal interactions, are used in e-mail communication. The purpose of this study is to identify in group projects the features inherent in the language of e-mail that show the interlocutors' use of these strategies within their written exchanges. The analysis of the data is derived from the e-mail text of three separate project teams working in European Universities. The problem of identifying these strategies is approached from the perspective of Pragmatics. The methodology used is Discourse Analysis. The study is divided into two analytical phases; the first, employs the use of Speech Acts to analyse the written utterances; the second, utilises Sillars' Typology of Conflict Resolution Strategies as a template for identifying the types of conflict used in e-mail communication. The results of this study confirm the use of three kinds of conflict resolution strategies in the e-mail; this allows a comparative analysis of the three groups to be undertaken. These findings are considered to have important implications within the field of Computer-Mediated Communication, particularly for the understanding of expressions of conflict within e-mail contexts as well as their consequences for sender/receiver interaction in project group

Cultural concepts of distress and complex PTSD: Future directions for research and treatment

Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) was introduced as a new diagnostic category in ICD-11. It encompasses PTSD symptoms along with disturbances in self-organisation (DSO), i.e., affect dysregulation, negative self-concept, and disturbances in relationships. Quantitative research supports the validity of CPTSD across different cultural groups. At the same time, evidence reveals cultural variation in the phenomenology of PTSD, which most likely translates into cultural variation with regard to DSO. This theoretical review aims to set the ground for future research on such cultural aspects in the DSO. It provides a theoretical introduction to cultural clinical psychology, followed by a summary of evidence on cultural research related to PTSD and DSO. This evidence suggests that the way how DSO symptoms manifest, and the underlying etiological processes, are closely intertwined with cultural notions of the self, emotions, and interpersonal relationships and interpersonal relationships. We propose directions for future research and implications for culturally sensitive clinical practice

Positive aging, positive dying: Intersectional and daily communicational issues surrounding palliative and end of life care services in minority groups in the UK and the US

As our global demographic shifts towards an increasingly aging population, we have an opportunity to transform how we experience and think about getting older and embrace the diversity and contribution that this population can bring to society. The International Handbook of Positive Aging showcases the latest research and theory into aging, examining the various challenges faced by older adults and the ways in which we can bring a much needed positive focus towards dealing with these. The handbook brings together disparate research from medical, academic, economic and social community fields, with contributions from NHS partners, service users, universities across the UK and collaborations with international research leaders in the field of aging. Divided into sections, the first part of the book focuses on introducing the concept of positive aging before going on to cover the body over the life course, well-being and care delivery. All contributors recognise the fact that we are living longer is providing us with a tremendous opportunity to enjoy and flourish in healthy and fulfilling later lives, and this focus on the importance of patient empowerment is integral to the book. This is a valuable reference source for those working in developmental psychology, clinical psychology, mental health, health sciences, medicine, neuropsychological rehabilitation, sociology, anthropology, social policy and social work. It will help encourage researchers, professionals and policy makers to make the most of opportunities and innovations to promote a person’s sense of independence, dignity, well-being, good health and society participation as they get older