Christine E. Meltzer

“Facebocrastination”? Predictors of using Facebook for procrastination and its effects on students’ well-being

Procrastinating with popular online media such as Facebook has been suggested to impair users well-being, particularly among students. Building on recent procrastination, self-control, and communication literature, we conducted two studies (total N=699) that examined the predictors of procrastination with Facebook as well as its effects on students academic and overall well-being. Results from both studies consistently indicate that low trait self-control, habitual Facebook checking, and high enjoyment of Facebook use predict almost 40 percent of the variance of using Facebook for procrastination. Moreover, results from Study 2 underline that using Facebook for the irrational delay of important tasks increases students academic stress levels and contributes to the negative well-being effects of Facebook use beyond the academic domain. The implications of investigating procrastination as a specific pattern of uncontrolled and dysfunctional media use are discussed with regard to research on the uses and effects of ubiquitous online media. Using Facebook (FB) to procrastinate tasks is common among students.Trait self-control (TSC), FB habits, and FB enjoyment predicted procrastination.Procrastination with FB increased students academic stress and FB-induced strains.Procrastination mediated the effects of TSC, habits, and enjoyment on well-being.Conclusion: Procrastinating with FB can impair users well-being.

On the distinction and interrelation between first- and second-order judgments in cultivation research

Abstract In cultivation research, differentiation is made between first- and second-order cultivation questions. However, their definition and relation remain unclear. This paper proposes a differentiation that focuses on the type of judgment underlying the respective cultivation questions. The former are frequency and probability judgments, while the latter are evaluative and address attitudes or values. Current theory in the field of cultivation research argues that these types of judgments are tied to on-line (second-order) and memory-based (first-order) processing. Based on psychological literature and a study on the cultivation of crime-related perceptions representative for the German population, we demonstrate that second-order judgments can also be built memory-based. Furthermore, we argue that the interrelation of first- and second-order judgments depends on whether judgments are built on-line or memory-based (especially in the case of second-order judgments). This may account for divergent empirical evidence in the field.

Coping with Stress or Losing Control? Facebook-induced Strains Among Emerging Adults as a Consequence of Escapism versus Procrastination

Facebook use has been associated with a number of negative effects on emerging adults’ academic performance and well-being. We propose two distinct modes of Facebook use that may each uniquely contribute to these Facebook-induced strains in users’ everyday lives: escapism and procrastination. Both have been investigated as drivers of negative effects of digital media use, yet there seems to remain some confusion about their respective conceptualizations. The results of a survey study among student Facebook users (N = 345) underline that while escapism can be understood as a dysfunctional avoidance coping response to negative life circumstances, procrastination refers to a self-regulatory failure rooted in low self-control. Both escapism and procrastination, however, are characterized by the selection of enjoyable content that provides substitute gratifications and serves as a distraction from negative stimuli and situations. Likewise, both modes of usage contributed to perceived Facebook-induced strains, underlining the unique detrimental effects of escapism and procrastination on emerging adults’ well-being.

The European media discourse on immigration and its effects: a literature review

ABSTRACT To understand public opinion about immigration in Europe, one has to understand the media’s role in it. We present a literature review on research on media discourse on immigration and their effects. Despite differences in the way immigration and migrant groups are represented in European media, we can observe common patterns. Migrants are generally under-represented and shown as delinquents or criminals. Although, media framing differs based on specific migrant groups the discourse is focusing on, immigration coverage is often negative and conflict-centred. Frequent exposure to such media messages leads to negative attitudes towards migration, may activate stereotypical cognitions of migrant groups, and even influence vote choice. In addition to discussing these issues in depth, the present review also focuses on comparative findings.

Fazit und Diskussion der Erträge der Arbeit

Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war zu beleuchten, ob Medien eine Wirkung entfalten konnen, wenn personliche Erfahrung bereits vorliegt. Diese Fragestellung wurde in der kommunikationswissenschaftlichen Forschung immer wieder tangiert, jedoch nicht systematisch erforscht.

Empirische Befunde zum Einfluss persönlicher und medial vermittelter Erfahrung

Im vorherigen Kapitel wurde aufgezeigt, was personliche und medial vermittelte Erfahrungen begrenzt und welche moglichen Formen der Uberschneidungen dieser Erfahrungen es gibt. In der kommunikationswissenschaftlichen Forschung wurde personliche Erfahrung vor allem als intervenierende Variable im Medienwirkungsprozess mit einbezogen. Dies betrifft die Erforschung von Agenda-Setting, Kultivierungsforschung und der Wissenskluft-Hypothese.

Realitätskonstruktionen: zum Verhältnis von persönlicher und medial vermittelter Erfahrung

Die vorliegende Arbeit beleuchtet, was im konkreten Fall des Zusammenspiels von eigener Erfahrung und Medienberichterstattung geschieht, wenn also personliche und mediale Erfahrungen uber denselben Ausschnitt aus der Realitat gemacht werden. Die mogliche Schnittmenge von personlicher und medialer Erfahrung ist durch verschiedene Aspekte begrenzt. Dies betrifft sowohl den Zugang zu als auch die inhaltliche Beschaffenheit von solchen Erfahrungen (Kapitel 2.3).

Corrigendum to ““Facebocrastination”? Predictors of using Facebook for procrastination and its effects on students' well-being” [Computers in Human Behavior 64 (2016) 65–76]

The authors regret a copy and paste error in the method section of Study 1 (p. 69). One of the four items of our measure of procrastination with Facebook is not reported correctly. Instead of the correct item (“I used Facebook while procrastinating upcoming work.”) the item “I used Facebook although I hadmore important things to do.” is listed twice in the respective paragraph (last paragraph in the left text column on p. 69). The authors would like to apologize for any inconvenience caused.

Living with Television: The Violence Profile

Das Schlusselwerk „Living with television: The violence profile“ legt den Grundstein fur die Kultivierungsforschung und stellt die Idee der Kultivierungsforschung von Gerbner und Kollegen umfassend dar. Die Autoren gehen davon aus, dass sich das Fernsehen auf die Wahrnehmung sozialer Realitat seiner Zuschauer auswirkt. Es beeinflusst aufgrund seiner realitatsnahen Darstellung und weiten Verbreitung Vorstellungen (Kultivierung 1. Ordnung) und Einstellungen (Kultivierung 2. Ordnung): Vielseher nehmen die Welt eher so wahr, wie sie im Fernsehen dargestellt wird, Wenigseher hingegen haben ein Weltbild, das naher an der tatsachlichen Realitat ist. Gerbners soziologisch gepragte Befurchtung war, dass das Fernsehen somit als Machtinstrument dienen kann. In der Kommunikationswissenschaft hat sich daraus einer der bis heute wichtigsten Medienwirkungsansatze entwickelt.