Spiralling out of control? Online vulnerability in ego-centric networks

Online social network sites (SNS) are a ubiquitous method of socialising in the digital era. A potential source of social support, their continued and frequent use has been linked to a fear of missing out (FOMO) and the implicit desire to regulate offline psychological needs deficits through online connective behaviours. This thesis provides an examination of the online vulnerability implications associated with social networking. A multi-methods approach was used combining self-report surveys with digitally derived data from participants’ online networks. Participants were sampled by age-group (adolescents, university students, and adults), rendering an overall sample of 506 (53% male; 13 to 77 years) UK based Facebook users, from which subsequent study-specific datasets were derived. Data were analysed using confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modelling, mediation analysis, multilevel modelling, and social network analysis. The results indicate that: (1) FOMO and online connective behaviours mediate the relationship between offline psychological vulnerability and exposure to negative online experiences; (2) offline vulnerabilities have the capacity to initiate a cycle of potentially problematic online behaviour; (3) maintaining a large, diverse network of social connections is associated with higher levels of reported exposure to negative online experiences; (4) the presence of certain types of individuals / online entities might be associated with an individual experiencing negative online experiences, and (5) adult users might be less likely to perceive themselves as vulnerable to negative online experiences when compared to adolescent users. The research contributes to knowledge and understanding of online life by providing a digitally enhanced perspective of the implications that offline psycho-social motivations, online behaviours, and user characteristics can have on an individual’s vulnerability to negative online experiences

The trialogical learning approach in practice: reflections from pedagogical cases

In the development of 21st century life skills, specific activity-based learning approaches could be helpful. This article describes the Trialogical Learning Approach, considered from the point of view of its interpretation and evaluation by teachers across a range of pedagogical courses. The aim of the paper is to provide both a summary of reflections on current practices and recommendations for potential enhancements to the trialogical pedagogical application. After a description of the approach, we focus on the role of pedagogical scenarios in educational design and reflective practice and, specifically, the scenarios used by teachers involved in the European project KNORK who have implemented TLA in their courses. From the content analysis of 53 pedagogical scenarios we have derived that: a) teachers were competent in designing their course following the trialogical approach prescriptions, b) teachers believed that the approach had promoted professional, collaborative and digital skills, thus satisfying their initial expectations, and c) a better management of group work and evaluation has been identified as major element requiring improvement. Methodological reflections about the use of the scenario as a corpus of data are discussed

Peer e-tutoring: effects on students' participation and interaction style in online courses

In this paper, we describe a procedure to promote active participation in online courses by supporting students in performing the role of an e-Tutor during group activities. A case study, conducted to explore the procedural effects both on students’ interactions and on their perceptions about the role, is discussed. Eighteen university students (67% female, mean Age = 23 years) took part in online collaborative learning activities as part of a 15-week blended learning course. Twelve participants took turns in covering the role of e-Tutor. Findings were based on a mixed methods analysis of 7105 contributions posted online by the 18 students. An analysis of e-Tutor self-assessment forms was also considered. Results indicated that utilising peer-based e-Tutors promoted substantial active participation in online discussions. Moreover, students performing the role of e-Tutor adopted a supportive, collaborative and educational style, which was maintained even after their turn as e-Tutor had ended

Social network engagement and subjective well-being: a life-course perspective

Social networking is a digital phenomenon embraced by billions worldwide. Use of online social platforms has the potential to generate a number of benefits including to well-being from enhanced social connectedness and social capital accumulation, but is also associated with several negative behaviours and impacts. Employing a life-course perspective, this paper explores social networking use and its relationship with measures of subjective well-being. Large-scale UK panel data from wave 3 (2011-12) and 6 (2014-15) of Understanding Society reveals that social network users are on average younger, aged under 25, but that rising use is reported across the life-course including into old age. Probit, multinomial logistic, and ANCOVA and change-score estimations reveal that membership, and greater use, of social networks is associated with higher levels of overall life satisfaction. However, heavy use of social networking sites has negative impacts, reflected in reductions in subjective well-being. Socio-economic disadvantage may drive these impacts among young (in education), unemployed and economically inactive heavy SNS users

Looking for trouble: A multilevel analysis of disagreeable contacts in online social networks

Identifying characteristics of troublemakers in online social networks, those contacts who violate norms via disagreeable or unsociable behaviour, is vital for supporting preventative strategies for undesirable, psychologically damaging online interactions. To date characterising troublemakers has relied on self-reports focused on the network holder, largely overlooking the role of network friends. In the present study, information was obtained on 5113 network contacts from 52 UK-based Facebook users (age range 13 – 45; 75% female) using digitally derived data and in-depth network surveys. Participants rated their contacts in terms of online disagreement, relational closeness and interaction patterns. Characteristics of online troublemakers were explored using binary logistic multilevel analysis. Instances of online disagreement were most apparent in the networks of emerging adults (19 to 21 years). Contacts were more likely to be identified as online troublemakers if they were well connected within the network. Rates of offline and Facebook exchanges interacted such that contacts known well offline but with low rates of Facebook communication were more likely to be identified as troublemakers. This may indicate that users were harbouring known troublemakers in a bid to preserve offline relationships and reputational status. Implications are discussed in terms of an individual’s susceptibility to undesirable encounters online

Online social network data as sociometric markers

Data from online social networks carry enormous potential for psychological research, yet their use and the ethical implications thereof are currently hotly debated. The present work aims to outline in detail the unique information richness of this data type and, in doing so, to support researchers when deciding on ethically appropriate ways of collecting, storing, publishing, and sharing data from online sources. Focusing on the very nature of social networks, their structural characteristics and depth of information, a detailed and accessible account of the challenges associated with data management and data storage is provided. In particular, the general non-anonymity of network data sets is discussed, and an approach is developed to quantify the level of uniqueness that a particular online network bestows upon the individual maintaining it. Using graph enumeration techniques, it can be shown that comparatively sparse information on a network is suitable as a sociometric marker that allows for the identification of an individual from the global population of online users. The impossibility of anonymizing specific types of network data carries implications for ethical guidelines and research practice. At the same time, network uniqueness opens up opportunities for novel research in psychology

When 'friends' collide: social heterogeneity and user vulnerability on social network sites

The present study examines how the use of social network sites (SNS) increases the potential of experiencing psychological, reputational and physical vulnerability online. From our theoretical perspective, concerns over the use of social network sites and online vulnerability stem from the ease with which users can amass large and diverse sets of online social connections and the associated maintenance costs . To date most studies of online vulnerability have relied on self -rep ort measures, rarely combining such information with user’s validated digital characteristics. Here, f or a stratified sample of 177 UK-based Facebook users aged 1 3 to 77, digitally derived network data , coded for content and subjected to structural analysis, were integrated with self -report measures of social network heterogeneity and user vulnerability. Findings indicated a positive association between Facebook network size and online vulnerability mediated by both social diversity and structural features of the network . In particular, network clustering and the number of non- person contacts were predictive of vulnerability. Our findings support the notion that connecting to large networks of online ‘friends’ can lead to increasingly complex online socialising that is no longer controllable at a desirable level

Asymmetrical third-person effects on the perceptions of online risk and harm among adolescents and adults

Although research has identified a range of opportunities, risks, and harms related to online social networking, the public debate on online risks follows a set pattern by which members of older age groups (parents, regulators) hold a picture of members of younger age groups (teenagers, digital natives) at a uniformly high level of risk. Perceptions of online risk, however, are prone to third-person effects in which individuals perceive risks to be more apparent in others than themselves. This study investigated third-person effects across age groups to further our understanding of the set positions found in current public debate. Multivariate analysis was used to compare adolescent and adult users' personal and third-person perceptions of common psycho-social risks associated with social networking engagement in a sample of 506 UK-based Facebook users (53% male; 13–77 years). Results indicated that rates of exposure to online vulnerabilities were similar for both age groups. However, differences in adult and adolescent perceptions of risk highlighted apparent mismatches between reported exposure to risk and an individual's perceptions, with adults demonstrating lower personal perceptions and higher third-person perceptions of risk than their adolescent counterparts. The research considers the implications of risk perception on an individual's online vulnerability

Banter versus bullying: a university student perspective

Banter, a form of social communication, is perceived to enhance social cohesion between friends in online and offline contexts. A fine line between banter and bullying behaviours exists however, with some instances of banter perceived as bullying, cyberbullying, and relational aggression. Two qualitative studies explored university students’ understanding and experiences of banter. Study 1 reports the findings from a content analysis of open-ended survey responses obtained from 190 UK-based psychology undergraduate students (18–35 years; 24 male, 166 female). Results suggested that students perceived banter to be indicative of humorous, positively intentioned social exchanges between friends, with few inferring potential links to negative behaviours. Study 2 data was generated from four focus groups (n = 21; 18–26 years; 15 female, 5 male, and 1 non-binary) guided by semi-structured interviews and banter/bullying vignettes. Interpretative phenomenological analysis identified four key themes: characteristics, social context, intent, and self-preservation. Discussions highlighted how students’ evaluations of banter were more complex than the results of study 1 had inferred. Students differentiate social interactions, using numerous verbal and text-based communication cues, and social rules of engagement to appraise and interpret intent. The study contributes to the currently sparse literature concerning university students’ use and experience of banter in offline and digital settings

Smartphones as digital companions: characterizing the relationship between users and their phones

Based on the idea of computers constituting social agents and referring to core characteristics of human-human relationships, this study introduces the concept of a digital companionship between smartphone users and their devices. Constituting characteristics (closeness, trust, preoccupation) and outcomes (stress, coping with stress) of social relationships were adapted to yield a model of human-smartphone relationships for empirical testing. A cross-national sample of participants (n = 1156) completed an online study which included self-report measures as well as a newly developed instrument (Positioning Others and Devices; POD) assessing the closeness to technical devices and social actors. Results showed the smartphone to be the closest device. Further, structural equation modelling lent support for the theoretical model indicating that trust and preoccupation mediate the relationship between closeness to the smartphone and stress and coping. Findings support the concept of companionship as a fruitful approach to explain smartphone-related behaviors