Jens F. Binder

Does contact reduce prejudice or does prejudice reduce contact? A longitudinal test of the contact hypothesis among majority and minority groups in three European countries.

A widely researched panacea for reducing intergroup prejudice is the contact hypothesis. However, few longitudinal studies can shed light on the direction of causal processes: from contact to prejudice reduction (contact effects) or from prejudice to contact reduction (prejudice effects). The authors conducted a longitudinal field survey in Germany, Belgium, and England with school students. The sample comprised members of both ethnic minorities (n = 512) and ethnic majorities (n = 1,143). Path analyses yielded both lagged contact effects and prejudice effects: Contact reduced prejudice, but prejudice also reduced contact. Furthermore, contact effects were negligible for minority members. These effects were obtained for 2 indicators of prejudice: negative intergroup emotions and desire for social distance. For both majority and minority members, contact effects on negative emotions were stronger when outgroup contacts were perceived as being typical of their group. Contact effects were also mediated by intergroup anxiety. This mediating mechanism was impaired for minority members because of a weakened effect of anxiety on desire for social distance. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Internet addiction in students: Prevalence and risk factors

The last decade has witnessed a large increase in research on the newly emerging mental health problem of Internet addiction. Rather than looking at Internet addiction per se, this study focused on particular activities on the Internet that might be potentially addictive and linked them to personality traits that might predispose individuals to Internet addiction. The aims of this study were (i) to assess the prevalence of clinically significant levels of Internet addiction, and to (ii) discern the interplay between personality traits and specific Internet uses in increasing the risk for Internet addiction. This cross-sectional online survey used data from 2257 students of an English university. Results indicated that 3.2% of the students were classified as being addicted to the Internet. The included personality traits and uses of online activities explained 21.5% of the variance in Internet addiction. A combination of online shopping and neuroticism decreased the risk for Internet addiction, whereas a combination of online gaming and openness to experience increased it. In addition to this, frequent usage of online shopping and social online activities, high neuroticism and low agreeableness significantly increased the chances of being addicted to the Internet. Findings and their implications are discussed.

Relationships and the social brain: integrating psychological and evolutionary perspectives.

Psychological studies of relationships tend to focus on specific types of close personal relationships (romantic, parent-offspring, friendship) and examine characteristics of both the individuals and the dyad. This paper looks more broadly at the wider range of relationships that constitute an individuals personal social world. Recent work on the composition of personal social networks suggests that they consist of a series of layers that differ in the quality and quantity of relationships involved. Each layer increases relationship numbers by an approximate multiple of 3 (5-15-50-150) but decreasing levels of intimacy (strong, medium, and weak ties) and frequency of interaction. To account for these regularities, we draw on both social and evolutionary psychology to argue that relationships at different layers serve different functions and have different cost-benefit profiles. At each layer, the benefits are asymptotic but the costs of maintaining a relationship at that level (most obviously, the time that has to be invested in servicing it) are roughly linear with the number of relationships. The trade-off between costs and benefits at a given level, and across the different types of demands and resources typical of different levels, gives rise to a distribution of social effort that generates and maintains a hierarchy of layered sets of relationships within social networks. We suggest that, psychologically, these trade-offs are related to the level of trust in a relationship, and that this is itself a function of the time invested in the relationship.

The problem of conflicting social spheres: effects of network structure on experienced tension in social network sites

We propose that a fundamental property of human psychology, the need to maintain independent social spheres, imposes constraints on the use of social network sites (SNS). We particularly focus on the consequences of visibility of communications across social spheres, and we hypothesize that technological features of SNS may bring social spheres in conflict, thus leading to increased levels of online social tension. A survey study among Facebook users was conducted to test this hypothesis. Results showed that diversity of the Facebook network predicted online tension. Moreover, the number of kin in a Facebook network was a crucial component because it predicted online tension whereas number of work and social contacts did not. Further, evidence was found to support the idea that tension might impose an upper limit on network size. We conclude with a discussion of these findings and describe how they support the thrust of recent modifications to SNS designs.

Social mediating technologies: social affordances and functionalities

A framework for analyzing computer-mediated communication is presented, based on Clarks theory of common ground. Four technologies are reviewed: Facebook, Wikipedia, Blacksburg Electronic Village, and World of Warcraft, to assess their “social affordances,” that is, how communication is supported and how the technologies provide facilities to promote social relationships, groups, and communities. The technology affordances are related to motivations for use and socio-psychological theories of group behaviour and social relationships. The review provides new insights into the nature of long-lasting conversations in social relationships, as well as how representations of individuals and social networks augment interaction.

Closeness, loneliness, support: Core ties and significant ties in personal communities

Abstract Past research has introduced further distinctions within the strong ties that form our personal communities. This work aimed at a comparison between core and significant ties in terms of their emotional closeness to ego, the social provisions that are exchanged, the relationship maintenance behaviours reported, and egos loneliness. Measures for all these variables were assessed in a survey study. Evidence for a trade-off between the number of ties and their level of intimacy was obtained such that having more core ties was associated with lower levels of intimacy. Distinct signatures for friends from both sets of ties emerged for friendship maintenance behaviours and social provisions exchanged. Further, social and emotional loneliness were differentially related to the number and the intimacy of core and significant ties.

Harmony and tension on social network sites: side effects of increasing online interconnectivity

The need to maintain harmony among ones social contacts is proposed in this paper to impose constraints on the interconnectivity between users of social network sites (SNS). A particular focus is on the connectivity between different social spheres. It is hypothesized that the type and number of social spheres and technological features of SNS interact such that increased levels of social tension result. These ideas are supported by the findings from a survey study among Facebook users. Social diversity of the Facebook network predicted online tension as did the number of family members on Facebook, in contrast to work and social contacts. Furthermore, evidence was found to support the idea that tension might impose an upper limit on network size. Follow-up interview data also showed that online tension was predominantly about unwanted connectivity between the spheres. All the technological features that users reported as problematic focused on the easy access to and broadcast of text and pictures. Findings are discussed in light of unintended, negative side-effects of SNS and social media in general.

Looking for trouble

Identifying characteristics of troublemakers in online social networks, those contacts who violate norms via disagreeable or unsociable behaviour, is vital for supporting preventative strategies for undesirable, psychologically damaging online interactions. To date characterising troublemakers has relied on self-reports focused on the network holder, largely overlooking the role of network friends. In the present study, information was obtained on 5113 network contacts from 52 UK-based Facebook users (age range 1345; 75% female) using digitally derived data and in-depth network surveys. Participants rated their contacts in terms of online disagreement, relational closeness and interaction patterns. Characteristics of online troublemakers were explored using binary logistic multilevel analysis. Instances of online disagreement were most apparent in the networks of emerging adults (1921 years). Contacts were more likely to be identified as online troublemakers if they were well connected within the network. Rates of offline and Facebook exchanges interacted such that contacts known well offline but with low rates of Facebook communication were more likely to be identified as troublemakers. This may indicate that users were harbouring known troublemakers in a bid to preserve offline relationships and reputational status. Implications are discussed in terms of an individuals susceptibility to undesirable encounters online. Identifies characteristics of troublemakers in online social networks.Combines self-report data with real-world digital characteristics.Multilevel analysis of 5113 network contacts from 52 UK-based Facebook users.Online disagreement most apparent on the networks of young adults.Troublemakers show a tendency to be well connected individuals.

525 – Online on campus: internet addiction and personality in english university students

A number of studies suggests that for a small minority of users, excessive engagement with the Internet can lead to Internet addiction. Internet addiction has been linked to specific personality traits. Research indicates that Internet addicts score high on introversion, and low on agreeableness and emotional stability. In terms of populations at risk for developing Internet addiction, university students have been identified. They have free and unlimited access, flexible schedules, and university settings can foster social intimidation and alienation. Sixty percent of students jeopardizes their academic and professional performance because of their Internet habits and in order to cope, they engage in Internet activities excessively. Internet addiction in students is claimed to be as high as 15% in Taiwan, however, no such data exists for English students. In order to fill this gap in knowledge, a web-based study on the prevalence of Internet addiction and its associations with personality traits in UK university students ( N =2257) was conducted. Results indicate that 3.2% of the sample can be classified as potentially addicted to the Internet. A combination of online shopping and neuroticism decreased the risk for Internet addiction, whereas online gaming together with openness to experience increased it. Moreover, frequent usage of online shopping and social online activities, high neuroticism and low agreeableness significantly increased the chances of being addicted to the Internet. Findings and their implications are discussed.

Activity in social media and intimacy in social relationships

Abstract We investigated associations between online and offline socialising and groups of social ties as postulated by the Social Brain Hypothesis (SBH). An online survey of social media use, social satisfaction and loneliness generated 249 complete responses from a sample of staff and students at the University of Manchester. Regression-based analyses showed that offline social activities and social time were positively associated with size of a core support group and social satisfaction. In contrast, social media time was positively associated with social satisfaction and the size of the total network, while the number of online contacts was positively related to social satisfaction, size of a wider sympathy group and total network size. No effect for loneliness was found. The number of ties reported for each SBH group was similar to that in previous studies. The more intimate support group (∼5) appears to be more closely connected with offline social activities, whereas social media use and contacts influence the less intimate sympathy group (∼15) and total network (∼150). These findings provide further support for functional differences between different layers of closeness in personal networks, and they help us in further defining the boundaries of relationship enhancement via communication technology.