Objective Facebook behaviour: Differences between problematic and non-problematic users

Abstract

The aim of the study was to test whether, and how much, specific objective Facebook behaviours are more frequent in problematic than non-problematic Facebook users. Differences between problematic and non-problematic Facebook users in objective Facebook behaviours were examined using frequentist and Bayesian t-tests. Participants were undergraduate students (n = 297, 80.8% female, age mean = 21.05, standard deviation = 1.88). Problematic Facebook use was assessed using fifteen items adapted from the scale developed and validated for the measurement of Generalized Problematic Internet Use. A specific R package was developed to obtain information about objective Facebook behaviours (friendship activities, events, wall activities, and text messages). T-tests indicated that non-problematic and problematic users significantly differ in several objective Facebook behaviours. Bayesian analyses confirmed t-test results and supported that Problematic users scored higher than non-problematic users in several dependent variables, such as number of friendships established, number of events attended, all wall activities (e.g. number of “like”), and private messages sent. The analysis of data about objective Facebook behaviours goes beyond the self-reported information about such activities, and helps to understand the role of its potentially addictive activities in predicting PFU.