The Impact of Self-Disclosure On Undergraduate Students

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to show that upperclassmen are more cautious when posting a status or picture to their Facebook profile, while underclassmen disclose more personal information and are not as aware of the image they are portraying or information that they are sharing.

Literature Review
Self-Disclosure Facebook and Social Penetration Theory

Self-disclosure is defined by Wheeless and Grontz (1976) as any message about the self that a person communicates to another (p. 388).
Whatever info you want to pull out of your section (Jen)

Facebook
Over 500 million users are on Facebook (facebook.com/statistics). Created a portal for users where they can present themselves on their individual profiles, make links to other users and communicate with them (Gross and Acquisti, 2005). Some Facebook users have presented the online networking site with more personal information than others, when disclosing information there is benefits and risk that are associated with the disclosure.

Benefits of Self-Disclosure
Increased trust Increased liking Often loving Increased attraction Increased mental health (Rosenfled, 1979)

Benefits of Self-Disclosure Cont.

The gain of self-concept which then leads to: Self acceptance Feelings of security Greater tolerance for a wider range of behavior from others

Risks of Self-Disclosure

Strangers have access to the personal information that is displayed on a persons profile. Peluchette and Karl (2007) found that 53% of Facebook profiles had photos related to alcohol consumption, 50% were profanity laden, and 25% included provocative photos. Smartphones can auto sync contact information

Risks of Self-Disclosure Cont.

Executive recruiters analyze potential employees Facebook accounts Without face to face interaction it is difficult to fully comprehend emotions through messages.

Methodology

Procedures
Multiple questions pertaining the topic of interest

were organized in the form of a questionnaire 75 questionnaires were handed out to randomly selected individuals Finished data was collected, counted, and put into various graphs and charts

Methodology
Variables

Methodology

Hypothesis
H1: The closer to graduation the more

precaution is used and personal information is disclosed. H2: The older the users the smarter they are about providing less information.

Methodology

Survey Design
Q1-4 Demographics Includes: gender, undergraduate status, academic year, amount of extracurricular activities
Q5-7 Facebook account Includes: amount of time logging onto and updating account (on a hourly, daily, weekly, monthly scale)

Q8-9 Yes/No Profile public? Receive notification on cellular device?

Methodology

Survey Design Cont.

Q10 Estimated number of Facebook friends Ranged on a numerical scale
Q11-12 Friends % of friends known on a personal level Number of friends disclosing personal information to Q13-15 Yes/No Based on Relationship status and whether it was true Think people disclose too much information?

Methodology

Survey Design Cont.

Q1-2 Identify all that apply What would be talked about on Facebook
a. Getting a new car b. Having a bad day life c. Getting a good grade d. Feeling hungover about a friend e. Relationship problem f. Coach / teacher g. Family Issues h. Positive things in your i. Trouble with the law j. Personal information k. Gifts from friends l. School / work

Methodology

Survey Design Cont.

What types of pictures are uploaded to Facebook

Account?

a. Alcohol b. Family c. Friends d. Sports e. Holidays f. Pets

g. Work Related h. Residency i. Car j. Vacation k. Religious Practices l. Other ______

Methodology

Survey Design Cont. The final question was left for participants to leave questions, comments, and concerns

Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions. The items in the survey may have missed a number of issues about disclosure on Facebook to consider. If you would like to offer your own suggestions on self-disclosure via Facebook please use the space below.

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