Social Compensation Hypothesis Research Articles

How does OTT social viewing relieve pandemic-related depressive symptoms? Investigating the moderated mediation model of social connectedness and network types

ABSTRACT After the outbreak of COVID-19, people have lacked offline social opportunities and had to focus their energy on online social activities. While some researchers have proposed that both anxiety and depression have increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, previous studies have provided evidence that people have mitigated negative emotions during the health crisis by using online services. In this manner, the pandemic-induced increase in online activity has significantly boosted global demand for online video services (Over-the-Top, OTT). OTT social viewing refers to the act of interacting with other users while simultaneously watching content through the social viewing service provided by OTT service providers. Drawing on the social compensation hypothesis and social capital theory, we surveyed people who experienced COVID-19-related depression and used Watch party, a key OTT social viewing service in Korea. The study reveals that while social media alone did not directly alleviate COVID-19-related depression, emotional stability was regained through building social connectedness via online activities. Furthermore, the study highlights that in OTT social viewing, the quality of interactions, rather than the quantity, was more crucial for forming social connectedness.

Enhancing or Compensating? Role of On- and Offline Social Capital and Technological Self-Efficacy on Subjective Well-Being among Immigrants and Natives.

The ability and self-efficacy to utilize the internet and technological devices has become critical during the COVID-19 pandemic. By examining the role of on- and offline social capital as a moderator in the relationship between technological self-efficacy (TSE) and subjective well-being, this study aims to contribute to the understanding of whether the social compensation or social enhancement hypotheses explain the well-being of immigrants in South Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic. We analyzed data from the 2020 Digital Divide Survey of immigrants (n = 700) and native-born Koreans (n = 6,910) aged ≥18 years. In the ordinary least squares regression model, subjective well-being (SWB) was the dependent variable and TSE was the independent variable. Online social capital, including bonding and bridging, was the moderating variable. Moreover, we tested the moderated moderation of nativity and on- and offline social capital. The results showed that bonding and bridging on- and offline social capital played a positive role in the SWB of both immigrants and native-born Koreans; bridging played a greater role among immigrants than among native-born Koreans. Furthermore, the interaction between TSE and online bonding social capital has a stronger association with the SWB of immigrants, as supported by the moderated moderation model. In line with the social enhancement hypothesis, immigrants with more online bonding social capital showed a stronger positive association between TSE and subjective well-being. Our results suggest that culturally adapted technological education for immigrants can be tailored to meet their unique needs and experiences.

Social Anxiety, Perceptions of Social Support, and Behavior in Anticipation of Online Peer Interaction

Abstract: Most Americans aged 18–49 use social media ( Atske, 2021 ). The social compensation ( McKenna & Bargh, 2000 ) and social enhancement ( Kraut et al., 2002 ) hypotheses offer two frameworks for understanding online social behavior, yet the evidence for these hypotheses is mixed. Two factors that may be important to consider in the context of online social behavior are social anxiety symptoms ( Weidman et al., 2012 ) and perceived social support ( O’Day & Heimberg, 2021 ). This study aimed to understand how online social behavior may be associated with social anxiety and perceived social support. Participants ( N = 303) completed self-report measures of social anxiety symptoms and perceived social support, as well as a task designed to simulate online social interactions. Participants who mentioned social activities in a mock social media profile had significantly lower social anxiety and significantly higher perceived social support than those who did not. There were no significant associations between social anxiety or perceived social support and the number of people with whom participants expressed interest in interacting. Participants with higher perceived social support indicated that they wanted to maximize their chances of interacting with another person. Overall, these findings provide some support for the social enhancement hypotheses. Further research is needed to disentangle how social anxiety and perceived social support may be relevant to online social behavior.

Does Facebook Use Provide Social Benefits to Adults with Traumatic Brain Injury?

Drawing on the social compensation hypothesis, this study investigates whether Facebook use facilitates social connectedness for individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI), a common and debilitating medical condition that often results in social isolation. In a survey (N = 104 participants; n = 53 with TBI, n = 51 without TBI), individuals with TBI reported greater preference for self-disclosure on Facebook (vs. face-to-face) compared to noninjured individuals. For noninjured participants, a preference for Facebook self-disclosure was associated with the enactment of relational maintenance behaviors on Facebook, which was then associated with greater closeness with Facebook friends. However, no such benefits emerged for individuals with TBI, whose preference for Facebook self-disclosure was not associated with relationship maintenance behaviors on Facebook, and did not lead to greater closeness with Facebook friends. These findings show that the social compensation hypothesis has partial utility in the novel context of TBI, and suggest the need for developing technological supports to assist this vulnerable population on social media platforms.

Social compensation or social enhancement? A path model connecting rejection sensitivity and loneliness for Chinese online dating applications users

Rejection-sensitive people may find online dating an ideal way to explore romantic relationships because of its relatively low social cost and their high control of impression management. However, they may also experience negative events during online dating, such as cyberbullying, which may lead to self-blame and social concessions. This study investigates the compensating and enhancing effects of online dating on rejection-sensitive people. Findings from an online survey of 459 users of mainstream online dating applications in China reveal a positive relationship between rejection sensitivity and the use of online dating applications. The increased use of online dating applications is positively associated with cyberbullying victimization, further contributing to loneliness. These findings support both the social compensation and enhancement hypothesis in the context of online dating, especially for individuals with deficit social competence and psychological vulnerability. This study extends existing research by uncovering a paradoxical mechanism that explains how online dating affects vulnerable individuals' well-being. Online dating product design should consider protecting specific groups of users from being cyberbullied.

Adolescents’ Online Communication and Self-Disclosure to Online and Offline Acquaintances

Abstract: Adolescents commonly use the Internet to communicate with their acquaintances. This study examines how social anxiety and depressed moods influence adolescents’ online communication – both its frequency and the level of self-disclosure. We propose that these relationships are mediated by adolescents’ preference for online social interaction (POSI), which helps explain the mixed results of previous research. Moreover, since the communication patterns may differ based on communication partners, we differentiate between online and offline acquaintances. Using structural equation modeling, we tested our hypotheses on survey data from 1,530 Czech adolescents (ages 13–18, 50.1% female). Our results suggest that while social anxiety is directly related to less online communication, indirectly, through higher POSI, it is related to more online communication. Notably, these associations are canceled out in communication with online acquaintances, but the inhibitions predominate in communication with offline acquaintances. Experiencing depressed moods is associated with more extensive online communication, both directly and via POSI, indicating that adolescents use online communication to cope with negative feelings. Theoretically, our findings support both the rich-get-richer and social-compensation hypotheses and suggest they are complementary. Moreover, they emphasize the role of adolescents’ perceptions of online communication within the social-compensation mechanism.

Взаимосвязь между вовлеченностью в использование информационно-коммуникационных технологий и внутрисемейным социальным капиталом

The study goal was to empirically test the direct and indirect effects of involvement in the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) and family social capital. To test these effects, we interviewed 104 families (parents and adolescents, n = 208). The direct effect test showed that the involvement in ICT use is a significant predictor of family social capital. At the same time, there is an inverse relationship: the higher the level of involvement of family members in ICT use, the lower the level of family social capital and all its components, especially trust. This means that the more adolescents and their parents are involved in ICT use (Internet, tablets, phones and other gadgets), the less they trust each other, pay attention to needs and mutual support, and the relationship becomes more distant and formal. As we can see, the primary results obtained using the construct of “family social capital” confirm the “displacement hypothesis”, according to which involvement in ICT use reduces the time for contacts between family members and they “displace” direct interaction, making it formal. The indirect effect test showed that the involvement in ICT use is a significant mediator of the relationship between family social capital and subjective wellbeing. In this case, involvement in ICT use acts as a coping strategy if individuals are not satisfied with their relationships with relatives. The results obtained confirm the “social compensation hypothesis”.

Investigating the effects of online communication apprehension and digital technology anxiety on organizational dissent in virtual teams

Working in virtual teams has become increasingly common in contemporary workplaces with technology that allows teams to collaborate online without being present in the same physical space. For some employees, communicating via virtual technologies such as email, phone, video conferences or applications to work in teams can cause anxiety, which in turn may influence their decision to engage in organizational dissent. This study examines the impact of two forms of online anxiety on employees' virtual organizational dissent: online communication apprehension and digital technology anxiety. The effects of age, technical skills, the portion of workload done virtually, and previous experience in virtual teamwork were included in the study as control variables. Using factorial analysis and structural equation modeling, the results from 321 volunteer employees of various US organizations (males = 135, females = 184, others = 2) were analyzed. The results show that the two forms of online anxiety and technical skills generally increase organizational dissent and aging significantly decreases virtual latent dissent. The study's findings support the social compensation hypothesis of online media use.

Unmasking the bright–dark duality of social media use on psychological well-being: a large-scale longitudinal study

PurposeAs the number of social media users continues to rise globally, a heated debate emerges on whether social media use improves or harms mental health, as well as the bidirectional relation between social media use and mental health. Motivated by this, the authors’ study adopts the stressor–strain–outcome model and social compensation hypothesis to disentangle the effect mechanism between social media use and psychological well-being. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue.Design/methodology/approachTo empirically validate the proposed research model, a large-scale two-year longitudinal questionnaire survey on social media use was administered to a valid sample of 6,093 respondents recruited from a university in China. Structural equation modeling was employed for data analysis.FindingsA longitudinal analysis reveals that social media use positively (negatively) impacts psychological well-being through the mediator of nomophobia (perceived social support) in a short period. However, social media use triggers more psychological unease, as well as more life satisfaction from a longitudinal perspective.Originality/valueThis study addresses the bidirectional relation between social media use and psychological unease. The current study also draws both theoretical and practical implications by unmasking the bright–dark duality of social media use on psychological well-being.

Tumblr Facts: Antecedents of Self-Disclosure across Different Social Networking Sites.

Previous research investigating antecedents of online self-disclosure pointed out two perspectives: social compensation and enhancement hypotheses, showing controversial findings. Furthermore, most contributions have focused on social networking sites (SNSs) considered mainstream, like Facebook and Instagram, and such results are often considered universally valid for all SNSs. Tumblr is a less-studied SNS with peculiar features—such as anonymity, higher control over the presentation of personal aspects, supportive communities—that could particularly lead individuals to self-disclose. As prior contributions highlighted that the features and affordances could define how a medium will be used, this paper aims to investigate the antecedents of online self-disclosure on Tumblr and other mainstream SNSs. We run a survey on 559 Tumblr users (aged 13–70; M = 28.86; SD = 12.34). T-test showed that Tumblr users have a higher willingness to self-disclose on Tumblr compared to another SNSs (t = 22.44, p < 0.001). A path analysis model confirmed the predictive role of some psychological variables on self-disclosure on Tumblr but not on mainstream SNSs. In particular, self-disclosure on Tumblr was predicted by self-esteem, negative emotionality, and preference for online social interactions, which was in turn predicted by social anxiety. These findings partially supported both social compensation and enhancement hypotheses, indicating that the phenomenon is more complex than expected.

International students’ psychosocial well-being and social media use at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic: A latent profile analysis

This study examined the link between the psychosocial well-being and social media use of international students in the US at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, when social isolation was mandated. Unlike prior research, which has typically focused on a single aspect of psychosocial well-being, we conceptualized international students' well-being as a multidimensional construct including internalizing symptoms (i.e., depression, anxiety, loneliness) as well as markers of intercultural difficulties. We then investigated social media use as a function of international students’ idiosyncratic well-being vulnerabilities. A latent profile analysis revealed four groups with distinctive psychosocial profiles: well-adjusted students, interculturally adjusted students with internalizing symptoms, students with low internalizing symptoms but high intercultural difficulties, and maladjusted students with high internalizing symptoms and high intercultural difficulties. Supporting the social compensation perspective, maladjusted international students reported the highest engagement with social media compared to the other groups. These findings shed light on the unique and heterogenous experiences of international students at the onset of the pandemic. They also add nuance to the social compensation hypothesis by delineating person-specific associations between psychosocial well-being and social media use.

The Influence of Media Exposure on Anxiety and Working Memory during Lockdown Period in Italy.

The rapid spread of the coronavirus pandemic has caused anxiety around the world. During lockdown, the media became a point of reference for people seeking information. However, little is known on the relationships between anxiety resulting from persistent media exposure to coronavirus-related programs and the effects produced on working memory. In this work, a total of 101 Italian citizens (53.7% female) aged between 18 and 45 years old, who were from 14 provinces in Italy, participated in an online survey. Participants were presented with media exposure and anxiety questionnaires and they were instructed to carry out working memory tasks (visual and auditory n-back). The results showed that media exposure is related to anxiety. It was also found that high levels of anxiety have a negative influence on the performance of both visual and auditory working memory tasks in terms of increased reaction times of responses and decreased accuracy. The results were critically discussed in the light of the Social Compensation Hypothesis.

Baby Boomers' use of Facebook and Instagram: uses and gratifications theory and contextual age indicators

Social media research tends to prioritize how young adults – and college students, in particular – use social network sites. While several studies have focused on how Facebook can help alleviate loneliness among older adults, the motives for using other social media platforms, including Instagram, have not been adequately explored. This study therefore focuses on how a uses and gratifications framework applies to older users of Facebook and Instagram, including the relationship to contextual age. A survey of 414 Baby Boomers and Traditionalists was conducted in the Fall of 2019. The results revealed that older adults rely on Facebook and Instagram to compensate for the lack of social activity and face-to-face interactions in their daily lives. These patterns are consistent with social compensation hypothesis and contradict the findings of studies done with college students. In addition, the older adults' life satisfaction was a negative predictor of using these sites for companionship and diversion. Future research should furthermore explore how other personality traits and social situations might influence older individuals use of social media. This knowledge can be particularly useful in times of health pandemic, such as COVID-19, when so many older individuals are confined to their homes and rely on social media for interaction and entertainment. Insight into intergenerational social media usage differences can also benefit advertisers, policy makers, recreational groups, healthcare and social services.

Is Social Media Use Socially Enhancing or Compensating?

Who benefits more from the use of social media—those who are already socialable and have a wide network of friends or those who do not and so seek to make up for their deficiency by going online? The social enhancement hypothesis says that extroverts benefit more through being able to enlarge their network of friends online more than introverts. The social compensation hypothesis, on the other hand, argues that social media use benefits introverts more; shy users who avoid face-to-face communication can communicate freely online. MANOVA analysis of the survey of 1,392 college students in a western state of India who are Facebook users found evidence predominantly for the social enhancement hypothesis.

Personality and emerging adults' friend selection on social networking sites: A social network analysis perspective.

Personality affects how emerging adults select friends and how they are selected on social networking sites (SNSs). Big Five personality traits and frequency of contacts on SNSs were collected from 160 college freshmen (M = 18 years) under a round-robin design over 2 months. Using social network analyses, we examined how personality and dyadic similarity affect online friend selections among new acquaintances. Our results show that people with high extraversion, neuroticism, and agreeableness and low openness selected more friends, verifying both the social enhancement hypothesis and the social compensation hypothesis. People with low extraversion, conscientiousness, and neuroticism and high openness were selected as online friends more often. Only openness dissimilarity had a salutary effect. We discuss the role of personality in social networking friend selection.

The connection and background mechanisms of social fears and problematic social networking site use: A structural equation modeling analysis

Previous research warned that internet and social media use could have a negative effect on the social lives of excessive users. Based on the social compensation hypothesis, however, factors related to social fears could lead to problematic social networking site (SNS) use because individuals try to compensate for their offline popularity. It was shown that individuals with higher levels of social fears tend to prefer computer-mediated (CMC) instead of face to face (FTF) communication. Here, we aimed to create a model that shows the direct and indirect effects of social anxiety and self-esteem on problematic SNS use. A total of 215 participants filled out our survey including measures of social anxiety, self-esteem, fear of negative evaluation, social media and Internet addiction. Using structural equation modeling we tested the indirect and direct effects between the variables. Our results indicated that social anxiety and lower self-esteem could lead to favoring CMC over FTF communication, which may result in problematic internet (PIU) and SNS use as a compensatory behavior to cope with fear of negative evaluation. The indirect pathways might highlight relevant differences behind the motivation of PIU – anonymity – and problematic SNS use – control. Theoretical as well as practical implications are discussed.

Are Aspects of Twitter Use Associated with Reduced Depressive Symptoms? The Moderating Role of In-Person Social Support.

In a two-wave, 4-month longitudinal study of 308 adults, two hypotheses were tested regarding the relation of Twitter-based measures of online social media use and in-person social support with depressive thoughts and symptoms. For four of five measures, Twitter use by in-person social support interactions predicted residualized change in depression-related outcomes over time; these results supported a corollary of the social compensation hypothesis that social media use is associated with greater benefits for people with lower in-person social support. In particular, having a larger Twitter social network (i.e., following and being followed by more people) and being more active in that network (i.e., sending and receiving more tweets) are especially helpful to people who have lower levels of in-person social support. For the fifth measure (the sentiment of Tweets), no interaction emerged; however, a beneficial main effect offset the adverse main effect of low in-person social support.

‘Age Matters’: A panel study investigating the influence of communicative and passive smartphone use on well-being

ABSTRACT Communicative and passive online use have been shown to affect individuals’ well-being in opposite ways. While communicative use is often associated with beneficial outcomes, passive use may even harm individuals’ well-being. However, existing studies have paid insufficient attention to the influence of age on these associations. Additionally, little evidence is available regarding the impact of communicative and passive smartphone use on individuals’ well-being across the life-span. Drawing upon the theoretical approaches of Socioemotional Selectivity Theory, Social Convoy Model, and Social Compensation Hypothesis, we assumed that particularly communicative smartphone use may be beneficial for older adults’ well-being, helping them to maintain their personal relationships. Results of a two-wave panel survey (N T2 = 461) revealed a significant negative influence of passive smartphone use on well-being irrespective of age. In line with the Socioemotional Selectivity Theory and Social Compensation Hypothesis, communicative smartphone use, however, only had a positive influence on well-being for adults older than 63 years, but not for younger adults. Our findings contribute to a broader understanding of the consequences of different types of smartphone use on well-being across generations in the longitudinal context.

Alexithymia, impulsivity, disordered social media use, mood and alcohol use in relation to facebook self-disclosure

The tendency to disclose personal information on Facebook has been examined in relation to the broad Big Five personality factors (extraversion, openness, neuroticism, conscientiousness, agreeableness), but the potential roles of more specific traits such as alexithymia and impulsivity are not known. The present study assessed the ability of these two traits, along with indices of disordered social media use, alcohol use, negative mood, and demographic factors, to predict Facebook self-disclosure in a hierarchical regression model. The study recruited 157 Facebook-using adults aged between 18 and 30 years (M = 24.31 years), of whom 81 (51.6%) identified as female, from across Australia via the online survey tool Qualtrics. Expected significant positive correlations of Facebook self-disclosure with alexithymia, impulsivity, disordered social media use, negative mood and alcohol use were obtained. In the final regression model, alexithymia and anxiety were the strongest predictors, followed by alcohol and education; disordered social media use, impulsivity, depression, stress, age, and gender were not significant. Subsequent analysis revealed that of the three facets of alexithymia, only difficulty identifying feelings explained variance in Facebook self-disclosure. Findings are interpreted in terms of the social compensation hypothesis and recent neuroimaging evidence of blunted brain response to social rejection in alexithymia.

Development of an Online and Offline Integration Hypothesis for Healthy Internet Use: Theory and Preliminary Evidence.

The Internet has become an integral part of our daily life, and how to make the best use of the Internet is important to both individuals and the society. Based on previous studies, an Online and Offline Integration Hypothesis is proposed to suggest a framework for considering harmonious and balanced Internet use. The Integration Hypothesis proposes that healthier patterns of Internet usage may be achieved through harmonious integration of people’s online and offline worlds. An online/offline integration is proposed to unite self-identity, interpersonal relationships, and social functioning with both cognitive and behavioral aspects by following the principles of communication, transfer, consistency, and “offline-first” priorities. To begin to test the hypothesis regarding the relationship between integration level and psychological outcomes, data for the present study were collected from 626 undergraduate students (41.5% males). Participants completed scales for online and offline integration, Internet addiction, pros and cons of Internet use, loneliness, extraversion, and life satisfaction. The findings revealed that subjects with higher level of online/offline integration have higher life satisfaction, greater extraversion, and more positive perceptions of the Internet and less loneliness, lower Internet addiction, and fewer negative perceptions of the Internet. Integration mediates the link between extraversion and psychological outcomes, and it may be the mechanism underlying the difference between the “rich get richer” and social compensation hypotheses. The implications of the online and offline integration hypothesis are discussed.