The effect of immersion and presence in a virtual reality public speaking task

Three virtual environments (with varying immersive features) of a small teaching classroom with an audience were tested to determine whether higher graphical fidelity (Immersion) improved public speaking anxiety after participating in a mock public speaking task. The UWIST Mood Adjective Checklist (UMACL) was administered from the perspective that participants were going to complete a public speaking task in the immediate future and the Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety (PRPSA) were taken before and after along with the iGroup Presence Questionnaire (IPQ). By manipulating technical quantitative elements of Virtual Environment construction, dimensions of presence significantly differed between conditions. Public speaking anxiety did not improve after participating in the task and increased immersion did not significantly reduce fear of public speaking within one session. Participants in all conditions however experienced a positive mood shift after participating in the public speaking task

Capturing personality from Facebook photos and photo-related activities: How much exposure do you need?

Photo-related activities are noticeably prevalent among social media users. On Facebook, users predominantly communicate visually and manage their self-presentation. Such online behaviours tend to mimic what would be expected of individuals’ offline personalities. This study sought to address the link between Facebook users’ photo-related activities and the Big Five personality traits by encoding basic Facebook visual features. Content analysis on the actual profiles (n = 115) and multiple regression analyses revealed many associations as a manifestation of users’ characteristics. For instance, Neuroticism and Extraversion predicted more photo uploads. Conscientiousness was predictive of more self-generated albums and video uploads and Agreeableness predicted the average number of received ‘likes’ and ‘comments’ on profile pictures. Additionally, the Facebook experience in interaction with the personality factors was found to be influential on the type of photo-related activity and the level of photo participation of users. The findings provide evidence that Facebook users with various personality traits set up albums and upload photos differently. Given the uses and gratification model, users adapt the construction of their profiles and manage their interactions to gratify their psychological needs on Facebook

Online Support Groups: Enhancing the User Experience with Cyber-Psychological Theory

Most of us will be familiar with the well-known expression “a problem shared is a problem halved.” Conventional wisdom at least then would seem to suggest that there are distinct psychological benefits associated with unburdening your problems onto others. Perhaps there is something cathartic about getting a few things off your chest. Perhaps discussing your problems with others allows you to gain new insights from someone else’s perspective or maybe there is just some comfort in simply knowing that others are there for you when you need them. Whatever the case, no matter how resilient you might think you are, there comes a time in all of our lives when (to quote a very famous song) “we all need somebody to lean on” (Withers, 1972)

Investigating the Facebook experience through Q Methodology: Collective investment and a Borg mentality

Several recent studies have explored social networking sites, such as Facebook, in light of the uses and gratifications approach. However, research has tended to ignore the latter part of this paradigm. This article uses Q methodology to explore user experiences of Facebook, allowing further exploration of gratification from site usage. Four distinct viewpoints were found: Facebook as a superficial environment; Facebook as a valid and valuable social environment; Facebook as an environment of surveillance; and Facebook as a destructive environment. Although the viewpoints show elements of user satisfaction, some users view Facebook in an almost entirely negative way. The article concludes by theorising a model of Facebook usage, drawing upon a metaphor from Star Trek, specifically an analogy with the Borg. It is argued that a level of ‘collective investment’ resides over social networks that may sometimes promote compliance

Language in online dating texts: trait identification, homophily, and their effect on attraction

Research has indicated that online daters may pick up on language cues connected to personality traits in online dating profile texts, and act upon those cues. This research seeks to investigate the level of accuracy of detection of personality in dating profile texts, and the extent to which perceived or actual similarity of personality has an effect on attractiveness of the author. An online survey was conducted collecting the Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI) for each participant and text author, a peer-report TIPI score by participants for each text author, and an attractiveness rating on a Likert scale for each author. Participants correctly identified Extraversion, though the effect size was small. Contrary to the hypotheses, participants preferred texts when written by an author with a personality they perceived as dissimilar to their own, specifically in Openness and Conscientiousness, and no relationship was found between actual similarity of personality and attractiveness. Online daters may choose partners with complementary or desirable traits rather than similar traits, or other factors in attraction may be more salient in the initial stages of determining attraction

Risk factors for social networking site scam victimisation amongst Malaysian students

Prior evidence suggests that board independence may enhance financial performance, but this relationship has been tested almost exclusively for Anglo-American countries. To explore the boundary conditions of this prominent governance mechanism, we examine the impact of the formal and information institutions of 18 national business systems (Whitley, 1999) on the board independence-financial performance relationship. Our results show that while the direct effect of independence is weak, national-level institutions significantly moderate the independence-performance relationship. Our findings suggest that the efficacy of board structures is likely to be contingent on the specific national context, but the type of legal system is insignificant

Social Media Impact on Organisations

In this chapter we discuss positive and negative implications of introducing social media into organisational settings. First, we will focus on social media as a tool for forming stronger bonds between colleagues and promoting a more cohesive and collaborative working environment. We will then look at social media effects on employee morale and its benefits for knowledge exchange. There will be some consideration of the different ways that organisations can make use of social media to increase brand-awareness as well as a focus on some of the drawbacks of social media use in the workplace such as the potential to harm a company’s reputation and to lower productivity. Recommendations for effective use of social media for organisations and their employees will be proposed throughout

Does recent research evidence support the hyperpersonal model of online impression management?

This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Elsevier in Current Opinion in Psychology on 30 May 2020, available online: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2020.05.005 The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version.The hyperpersonal model of communication was conceived in the 1990s and has driven much of the research into online impression management. Based on four principal tenets (increased control, asynchronicity of communication, increased physical distance and reallocation of cognitive resources) it has largely received empirical support, especially by research involving text-only communication. This review briefly summarises this research before identifying four areas in which it is not supported by findings: the wider context of online communication, the expanding nature of online platforms to include pictures and video, use of language in online environments, and online self-disclosure. We suggest that the model is modified and updated, or its limitations defined, with respect to this evidence.Published versio

An online life like any other: identity, self-determination, and social networking among adults with intellectual disabilities

Research focusing on online identity and the personal experiences of adults with Intellectual disabilities (ID) is currently limited. Eleven adults with Intellectual disabilities were interviewed regarding personal experiences of being online and using social media. Data were analyzed qualitatively using thematic network analysis. Two global themes of ‘Online Relatedness and Sharing’ and ‘Online Agency and Support’ highlighted the positive potential of social media in enabling the development and maintenance of social bonds, valued social roles and feelings of enjoyment, competence, autonomy and self-worth. Participants reported sharing various expressed online identities, which did not focus on or hide impairment, challenging notions of dependency, with participants both providing support and being supported online

Risk Factors for Social Networking Site Scam Victimization Among Malaysian Students

Social networking sites (SNSs) can provide cybercriminals with various opportunities, including gathering of user data and login credentials to enable fraud, and directing of users toward online locations that may install malware onto their devices. The techniques employed by such cybercriminals can include clickbait (text or video), advertisement of nonexistent but potentially desirable products, and hoax competitions/giveaways. This study aimed to identify risk factors associated with falling victim to these malicious techniques. An online survey was completed by 295 Malaysian undergraduate students, finding that more than one-third had fallen victim to SNS scams. Logistic regression analysis identified several victimization risk factors including having higher scores in impulsivity (specifically cognitive complexity), using fewer devices for SNSs, and having been on an SNS for a longer duration. No reliable model was found for vulnerability to hoax valuable gift giveaways and “friend view application” advertising specifically, but vulnerability to video clickbait was predicted by lower extraversion scores, higher levels of openness to experience, using fewer devices, and being on an SNS for a longer duration. Other personality traits were not associated with either overall victimization susceptibility or increased risk of falling victim to the specific techniques. However, age approached significance within both the video clickbait and overall victimization models. These findings suggest that routine activity theory may be particularly beneficial in understanding and preventing SNSs scam victimization