Elsevier

Computers in Human Behavior

Volume 41, December 2014, Pages 342-350
Computers in Human Behavior

Emotional disclosure on social networking sites: The role of network structure and psychological needs

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.09.045Get rights and content

Highlights

  • We examined the relation between emotional disclosure and social network structure.

  • Facebook users with denser networks disclosed more positive and negative emotions.

  • Need for emotional expression mediates the effect of network density.

  • Facebook users with larger networks disclose more positive emotions.

  • Need for impression management mediates the effect of network size.

Abstract

We conducted three studies to understand how online emotional disclosure is influenced by social network structure on Facebook. Results showed that emotional disclosure was associated with both the density and size of users’ personal networks. Facebook users with denser networks disclosed more positive and negative emotions, and the relation between network density and emotional disclosure was mediated by stronger need for emotional expression. Facebook users with larger networks on Facebook disclosed more positive emotions, and the relation between network size and emotional disclosure was mediated by a stronger need for impression management. Our study extends past research by revealing the psychological mechanisms through which personal social network structure influences emotional disclosure. It suggests that social network size and density are associated with different psychological needs, which in turn lead to different patterns of emotional disclosure.

Introduction

Emotional disclosure occurs naturally in everyday life (Moreno et al., 2011, Rimé, 2009, Rimé et al., 1998, Rimé et al., 1991, Rimé et al., 1992). People frequently disclose their positive and negative emotions (Rimé et al., 1991), because self-disclosure is intrinsically rewarding (Csibra and Gergely, 2011, Tamir and Mitchell, 2012, Tomasello, 2009) and can improve interpersonal intimacy (Derlega et al., 1987, Laurenceau et al., 1998, Laurenceau and Kleinman, 2006). Nowadays, with the widespread use of social networking sites (SNSs) such as Facebook, people can easily share their emotions with a wide audience (Boyd and Ellison, 2007, Köbler et al., 2010). Research has shown that emotional expressions are ubiquitous on SNSs (Carr et al., 2012, Facebook, 2010, Kivran-Swaine and Naaman, 2011, Naaman et al., 2010), and their overall pattern matches seasonal mood changes (Golder & Macy, 2011). However, it remains unclear what factors influence users’ emotional disclosure on SNSs. Studies have explored the relation between online network structure and emotional disclosure. The density of one’s personal network was found to predict the amount of time spent on Facebook and the number of messages posted (Park, Lee, & Kim, 2012). Network size was found to be negatively correlated with the number of emotion words in Facebook status updates (Facebook, 2010). However, it was found that network density negatively and network size positively predicted emotion words in tweets (Kivran-Swaine & Naaman, 2011). These inconsistent findings prompt for more research on why and how social network structure influences emotional disclosure.

Self-disclosure has been considered a function of contextual properties such as relationship quality and communication context (e.g., Haythornthwaite, 2005, Park et al., 2012, Walther, 1996, Walther, 2007), as well as a function of psychological motives and characteristics (e.g., Gross and John, 1995, Kring et al., 1994). Furthermore, the relation between communication partners can influence communication needs (Haythornthwaite, 2005) and communication style including the breadth, length, and depth of self-disclosure (Omarzu, 2000). It is possible that users’ network structures on Facebook influence their communication needs and affect their emotional disclosure pattern.

Research has shown that Facebook communication is likely driven by two motivational forces. First, individuals use Facebook to maintain and improve social relationships (Ellison, Steinfield, & Lampe, 2007). Since emotional disclosure can foster interpersonal connectedness (Sheldon, Abad, & Hinsch, 2011), individuals are motivated to express their emotions to maintain their relatedness to others. Second, Facebook is a platform for self-presentation (Mehdizadeh, 2010, Papacharissi, 2011). Users are motivated to use impression management strategies to create socially desirable self-images (Ellison et al., 2006, Qiu et al., 2012, Siibak, 2009, Strano, 2008, Zhao et al., 2008). Therefore, emotional disclosure on Facebook is likely to be influenced by the need for emotional expression and need for impression management.

In this research, we investigate the underlying mechanisms of how social network structure influences the need for emotional expression and the need for impression management, and lead to the pattern of emotional disclosure. Findings from this research are expected to shed light on the influence of social network structure on user behavior and enrich the knowledge of the social processes of emotional disclosure. First, we compare the pattern of emotional disclosure on Facebook with disclosure in a less social context to reveal how the presence of a familiar audience affects emotional disclosure. Second, the link between contextual factors on Facebook and emotional disclosure will be highlighted quantitatively. Most importantly, the motivational factors will be uncovered and disentangled, so that the socio-psychological meaning of the social network context can be better understood.

Section snippets

Emotional disclosure on Facebook

While emotional sharing is self-rewarding (Csibra and Gergely, 2011, Tamir and Mitchell, 2012, Tomasello, 2009), the theory of social sharing of emotion suggests that it can also stimulate social interaction and improve interpersonal connection (Laurenceau et al., 1998, Moscovici, 1984, Rimé, 2009, Rimé et al., 1991, Rimé et al., 1998). Both positive and negative emotion are frequently shared in daily life (Gable et al., 2004, Rimé, 2009, Rimé et al., 1991, Rimé et al., 1992, Rimé et al., 1998,

Study 1

Study 1 aims to understand how the social context of Facebook affects users’ emotional disclosure by comparing Facebook status updates with brief daily diary entries. A comparison between the two writing samples could shed light on how the social context of Facebook influences emotional disclosure.

Study 2

Study 1 suggested that emotional disclosure on Facebook may serve a social function. However, it remains unclear how the social structure on Facebook influences emotional expression. In Study 2, we examined the relation between users’ emotional disclosure and their social network characteristics.

Study 3

Study 2 provided initial support for our hypotheses: both network size and density were associated with increased emotional disclosure. However, it remained unclear why the contextual properties of personal networks were associated with emotional disclosure. Study 3 was designed to test the underlying psychological mechanism more directly. We measured the needs for emotional expression and impression management, and examined their mediating role in the relation between network properties and

Discussion

Past research has emphasized the importance of understanding communication behaviors and their associated psychological processes by studying how communicative contexts influence individuals’ communication styles (Culnan and Markus, 1987, Gasiorek et al., 2012, Walther, 1992, Walther, 2012, Yzer and Southwell, 2008). Our study contributes to existing research by showing that social network size and density are associated with different psychological needs and lead to different emotional

Conclusion

The current research demonstrates that emotional disclosure on Facebook is socially motivated and different from disclosure in private settings. In particular, the need for emotional expression and need for impression management mediate the relationship between social network structure and emotional disclosure. The need for emotional expression is enhanced in dense networks, leading to greater positive and negative emotional disclosure. The need for impression management is promoted in large

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