Derek Lackaff

Exploring the relationship between perceptions of social capital and enacted support online

Online social networking sites enable users to connect with large, heterogeneous groups of people. While extant research suggests individuals benefit psychologically from the perception that they are well connected, little is known about the nature of tangible resources embedded in these online networks. In this study 49 participants sent 588 requests for instrumental help to their Facebook friends to determine the accessibility of networked resources and online social capital. Almost 80% of these modest requests went unanswered, and perceived bridging and bonding capital did not explain enacted support. However, people who occupied socially prestigious positions were the most likely to benefit from their friends help. These results suggest that expansive mediated networks may yield limited instrumental benefits.

Online and Offline Social Networks: Investigating Culturally-Specific Behavior and Satisfaction

Research shows that people from different cultural backgrounds and gender roles behave and communicate in systematically different ways. The current research utilized a survey (N=452) of young adults to examine the occurrence of culturally- and gender-influenced differences in online behavior, offline networks, and satisfaction. Results show that participants who identify with more individualistic cultural backgrounds have larger networks of friends on social network sites (SNSs), have a greater proportion of these friends not actually met face-to-face, and share more photos online opposed to participants who identify with less individualistic cultural backgrounds. Social support network size was a significant predictor of satisfaction with life, while SNS network size was not. Findings suggest that participants who identify with more individualistic cultural backgrounds tend to self-promote and are better connected and more satisfied with their social lives. It seems offline networks are more important than mediated networks in terms of psychological well-being.

We're all stars now: reality television, web 2.0, and mediated identities

Social cognitive theory suggests a likely relationship between the rising popularity of both reality television and social networking sites. This research utilized a survey (N=456) of young adults to determine the extent to which reality television consumption explains user behavior in the context of social network sites. Results show a consistent relationship between reality television consumption on the length of time spent logged on to these sites, the size of users networks, the proportion of friends not actually met face to face, and photo sharing frequency while controlling for age, gender and education. Other categories of television viewing like news, fiction, and educational programming were not related to users online behavior.

An analysis on communication theory and discipline

This research explores the structure and status of theories used in Communication as an alternative for Communication discipline identity research and characteristics evaluation. This research assumes that communication theories are not only ongoing practices of intellectual communities, but also discourse about how theory can address a range of channels, transcend specific technologies and bridge levels of analysis. It examines widely-cited theoretical contentions among academic articles and the connections among these theories. Network analysis suggests that framing theory is the most influential of the identified theories (ranking first in frequency and degree, closeness, betweenness and eigenvector centrality) and serves to link other communication theories and theory groups. While mass communication and technology theories exhibited the highest centrality, interpersonal, persuasion and organization communication theories were grouped together, integrating sub-theories of each group. Framing theory was the most popular and influential communication theory bridging not only mass communication theories, but also interpersonal, technology, information system, health, gender, inter-cultural and organizational communication theories.

Wireless Protesters Move Around: Informational and Coordinative Use of Information and Communication Technologies for Protest Politics

ABSTRACT This study explored information and communication technology (ICT) uses for protest politics, focusing on the case of a 2008 protest in Korea. Based on a survey of citizen activists (N = 322), it examined informational and coordinative uses of eight different ICTs for protest participation. The results indicated that heavy, moderate, and nonprotesters were differentiated, particularly regarding the use of Web sites of social movement organizations (SMOs), mobile phone, and e-mail. Across all types of protesters, the portal site was the most prominently utilized tool, while online micromedia showed little contribution. The findings call for the reconsideration of the waning role of SMOs in contemporary protest politics, and the differentiation of the public-oriented ICT from the private use of ICT regarding its contribution to expand civil society.

New Opportunities in Personal Network Data Collection

One of the central challenges of ego-centric or personal social network research is the quantity and quality of data that is required from research participants. In general, collecting data about increasingly larger ego-centric networks places an increasing burden on respondents. However, the recent development and increasing ubiquity of web applications that rely on social graphs present interesting new opportunities and challenges for data collection efforts. This chapter addresses this emerging context for social research, and reports the results of an experimental evaluation of an online computer-assisted self interview (CASI) survey tool called PASN (Propitious Aggregation of Social Networks). Personal networks acquired via the PASN tool were found to be larger and more diverse than those produced using standard survey methods, yet required significantly lower time investments from participants. The implications of new methods such as PASN for social network research are discussed, along with considerations and recommendations for future research.

Local languages, global networks: Mobile design for minority language users

Minority and indigenous languages have a complex relationship with contemporary communication media. Social media, in particular, provide new venues for language use and revitalization, but also subject minority languages to inhibiting technological and social pressures. The present study contributes to a better understanding of social media and language use dynamics via an analysis of a survey of Irish language users (n=617) and their sociotechnical contexts. We develop a typology of social, linguistic, and technical factors that provide a theoretical and analytical foundation for future work. A complex interplay of social and technical factors impact minority language use in social media, and we suggest potential interaction design strategies for language activists and technologists to promote more effective engagement.

Propitious aggregation: reducing participant burden in ego-centric network data collection

One of the central challenges of ego-centric or personal social network research is minimizing the quantity of data that is requested from research participants while ensuring high data accuracy and validity. In general, collecting data about increasingly larger ego-centric networks places an increasing burden on respondents. The web-based Propitious Aggregation of Social Networks (PASN, http://pro.pitio.us) survey instrument reduces this burden by leveraging network data already available in the context of social network websites, and by providing an intuitive click-and-drag interface for survey responses. An experiment was conducted (N = 85), and the PASN method was found to produce networks which were significantly larger and more diverse than those produced using standard survey methods, yet required significantly lower time investments from participants.