People or profiles: Individual differences in online social networking use

Abstract

Scholars have debated whether social networking websites provide valuable social connections or distract individuals from more rewarding real-life relationships. We propose that examining individual differences in one’s tendency to approach versus avoid the perspectives of other people can help resolve this issue: perspective curiosity and perspective defensiveness may predict different patterns of online behaviors. The present study uses a trait measure of Mind-Reading Motivation to assess the relationship of these tendencies with different categories of behaviors on Facebook. Results revealed that certain aspects of Facebook behavior (direct interactions with others over Facebook; Facebook as Real-life Supplement) were associated with approach motivation, a willingness to seek out others’ perspectives, while other aspects of Facebook behavior (Facebook-only Relationships; romantic relationship-seeking) were associated with a tendency to effortfully avoid others’ perspectives. Furthermore, openness to experience, but not extraversion, predicts Facebook behaviors above and beyond the effect of MRM.