Blight Michael G, Ruppel Erin K, Schoenbauer Kelsea V
1 College of Communication, DePaul University , Chicago, Illinois.
2 Department of Communication, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee , Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2017 May;20(5):314-319. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2016.0505.
Although research has explored the ways in which people form virtual communities to converse about media figures, television shows, and similar topics, little research has examined the link between virtual communities and the parasocial relationships (PSRs) that are often the focus of these conversations and users' experiences in those virtual communities. We examined sense of community (SOC) on Twitter and Instagram as a function of users' motives for use and users' PSR on the sites. In addition to examining the relative importance of different motives for using Twitter and Instagram, we predicted that PSR would mediate the association between motives for use and SOC. Results of an online survey revealed that Instagram users (n = 276) reported stronger social interaction motives than did Twitter users (n = 223). Social interaction and expressive information sharing motives were directly positively associated with SOC for users of both sites. Instagram users also exhibited indirect effects of expressive information sharing and companionship motives on SOC, through PSR. These findings suggest potentially influential differences between Twitter and Instagram, particularly regarding the role of PSR in fostering a general SOC.
尽管已有研究探讨了人们如何形成虚拟社区来谈论媒体人物、电视节目及类似话题，但很少有研究考察虚拟社区与准社会关系（PSRs）之间的联系，而这种关系往往是这些对话的焦点，以及用户在这些虚拟社区中的体验。我们将推特和照片墙（Instagram）上的社区感（SOC）作为用户使用动机和用户在这些平台上的准社会关系的一个函数进行了研究。除了考察使用推特和照片墙的不同动机的相对重要性外，我们还预测准社会关系将调节使用动机与社区感之间的关联。一项在线调查结果显示，照片墙用户（n = 276）报告的社交互动动机比推特用户（n = 223）更强。社交互动和表达性信息分享动机与两个平台用户的社区感直接呈正相关。照片墙用户还通过准社会关系展现出表达性信息分享和陪伴动机对社区感的间接影响。这些发现表明推特和照片墙之间可能存在有影响力的差异，特别是在准社会关系对促进总体社区感的作用方面。
