Prosocial Activists in SNS: The Impact of Isomorphism and Social Presence on Prosocial Behaviors

Abstract

The advent of information and communication technology has made people practice prosocial behavior in social networking services (SNSs) more easily. For this reason, the aim of the study was to identify the social and individual factors that induce prosociality in SNS. The concept of isomorphism for categorizing the characteristics of each social networks was adopted. The study also considered the concept of social presence for representing each individual. The experiment manipulated types of isomorphism (Mimetic, Normative, and Coercive) and degrees of social presence in an experimental SNS context. The study also measured individuals’ intention and activity of prosocial behavior. The experiment results indicate that mimetic and normative isomorphic conditions induce higher levels of prosocial intention and activity than coercive isomorphic condition. Also, a higher degree of social presence induces a higher level of prosocial intention. More interesting, the impact of mimetic condition is stronger when the social presence is higher.