Jocelyn M. DeGroot

Attitudes Toward Online Social Connection and Self-Disclosure as Predictors of Facebook Communication and Relational Closeness

This investigation tested a theoretical model of communication behavior with specific Facebook friends, such that attitudes toward (a) online self-disclosure, and (b) online social connection, predict Facebook communication frequency and, in turn, relational closeness. Participants included both undergraduates and older adults. Results generally supported the model, with the interaction effect between self-disclosure and social connection directly predicting Facebook communication and indirectly predicting relational closeness. For both dependent variables, online social connection was a positive predictor at low and moderate levels of online self-disclosure, but high levels reduced the association to nonsignificance. One implication of these results was that high-warrant information may discourage those with social anxiety from social network site communication.

Maintaining relational continuity with the deceased on Facebook.

Scholars have noted that communication helps maintain relational continuity despite physical absence; yet, the specific role of communication in continuing a relationship with the deceased has not been analyzed. In this study, messages directed to the deceased on Facebook memorial group walls were examined to explore how grieving individuals utilize Facebook memorial groups in order to make sense of the death of a loved one and reconnect with the deceased. Using a grounded theory approach, message topics and apparent grief-related functions served by messages were identified and characterized. Initial observation revealed that grieving individuals wrote to the deceased as if the deceased could read the messages, which is a unique type of communication. The communication written to the deceased individuals appeared to serve two functions for those writing the messages: (1) Sensemaking; and (2) Continuing Bonds, or upholding relational continuity, with the deceased.

“For Whom the Bell Tolls”: Emotional Rubbernecking in Facebook Memorial Groups

Facebook memorial groups are often formed as a way for people to remember a deceased loved one. Because of the public nature of communication on Facebook, people who did not intimately know the deceased (emotional rubberneckers) can locate memorial groups and watch as people grieve the loss of their friend or family member. Using grounded theory methods, the author identified and examined the function of the rubberneckers’ messages posted on 10 Facebook memorial group walls. Emotional rubberneckers identified with the deceased and expressed sadness at their death, indicating a connection with the deceased stranger.

“It May Not Be Pretty, But It's Honest”: Examining Parental Grief on the Callapitter Blog

Following the death of a child, parents are turning to alternative means of communication to express their grief. In this instrumental case study, the authors explore how 1 woman, Amy Ambrusko, communicates her grief experience on her blog, emotionally negotiating loss and parental grief. Guided by M. S. Miless (1984) parental grief model, the authors argue that the Callapitter blog serves as a case study illustration of online parental grief. Specifically, Ambrusko displays parental grief in three ways: (re)questioning reality, experiencing discursive and corporeal guilt, and rationalizing a “new normal.” This analysis highlights the changing nature of communicating about grief and underscores how grief blogs challenge contemporary social death rules.

Exploiting Loss?: Ethical Considerations, Boundaries, and Opportunities for the Study of Death and Grief Online

More people are turning to the Internet to communicate about dying, death, and grief experiences. This theoretical article explores the ethical dilemmas, challenges, and opportunities presented to researchers interested in exploring how death and grief are communicated online. Weaving together the literatures of computer-mediated communication and thanatology (dying and death), we discuss the ways in which many common ethical dilemmas uniquely manifest related to death and grief. We also explore the emotional impact studying death and grief online has on researchers and the importance of thinking about researcher emotions on scholars who study these issues. We end with recommendations of how to move forward in the dialogue about ethics and studying death and grief online.

R.I.P. Kutner Parasocial Grief Following the Death of a Television Character

In 2009, Lawrence Kutner, a character on television’s House, M.D., unexpectedly committed suicide. A Facebook memorial group was created shortly thereafter in memory of the fictional character. A thematic analysis of fan postings on Kutner’s Facebook memorial page revealed evidence of people experiencing parasocial grief as they displayed emotional expressions of grief, reminisced, and advocated for Kutner. Through thematic analysis, we discovered that elements of parasocial relationships, particularly parasocial breakups, were apparent as the members posted evidence of their grief over the loss of a television character. Moreover, this parasocial grief is likely to be disenfranchised, as the death of a television character is typically not recognized by others as a legitimate loss. This study also highlighted the role of social media as an outlet for grief as well as revealed confusion between fiction and reality resulting from social media.

We were not prepared to tell people yet

Communication Privacy Management theory provides a framework for investigating confidentiality breaches that occur on Facebook. Open-ended online questionnaires served as mechanism for collecting data about privacy violations and the resulting boundary turbulence. Privacy violations validated three a priori categories (Petronio & Reierson, 2009) of confidentiality breaches (privacy ownership violations, discrepancy breaches of privacy, and pre-emptive privacy control). Findings indicated that the lack of established explicit privacy rules led to privacy violations and boundary turbulence. Results also provided insight regarding motivations of privacy violations, reactions to privacy violations, and the role of privacy rules in the violation. The absence of explicit privacy rules between parties leads to privacy violations.Secrets were prematurely announced, violating others expectations of disclosure.Privacy breaches online have lasting implications for on and offline relationships.Privacy rules were revisited, readjusted, and renegotiated after a violation.The use of explicit privacy rules would have prevented many privacy violations.

Development and Validation of the Communication Apprehension About Death Scale

Two studies (N = 621) were conducted to develop and initially validate the Communication Apprehension About Death Scale (CADS). In Study 1, 302 general public participants completed a preliminary list of 66 items. An exploratory factor analysis identified two distinct dimensions of communication apprehension about death: communication anxiety and communication avoidance. A different group of participants (n = 319) participated in Study 2. Participants in Study 2 completed the CADS measure, a fear of death measure, and a general communication apprehension measure. Concurrent validity support was provided through the significant positive correlations between communication apprehension about death and fear of death as well as communication apprehension about death and general communication apprehension. Collectively, the results suggest that the CADS is a reliable and valid self-report measure of communication apprehension about death. We conclude with a discussion of the findings as well as future directions needed to more critically examine CADS.

A View From the Top: Crafting the Male "Domdentity" in Domestic Discipline Relationships

Domestic discipline (DD) is a relationship approach that advocates wifely submission and male dominance through the use of disciplinary tactics such as spanking. Because DD is seen as a deviant behavioral approach to relationships, men often turn to blogs to chronicle their experiences with DD. These blogs provide insight regarding their identity as a Dominant (Dom), or what they refer to as their “Domdentity.” The purpose of our study is to investigate how Doms socially construct and perform their Domdentity. The Domdentity is constructed through a dialectic of discipline and love in the DD relationship, continuously working to maintain the DD relationship, and actively participating, and questioning their roles, in the DD relationship.

A Model of Transcorporeal Communication: Communication Toward/With/to the Deceased

Research indicates that people maintain a connection with deceased loved ones, which can be healthy for the bereaved individuals. To maintain these bonds, people readily admit to communicating with the deceased. Although communication with the deceased shares similarities with traditional models of interpersonal communication, it is distinctly different. Interviews with 20 individuals revealed support for a model of transcorporeal communication, communication to people who do not maintain a physical presence. This communication includes the components of sender, inner representation of the deceased as receiver, message, feedback based on what the sender believes the deceased would say, and a metaphysical element. Implications of transcorporeal communication for griefwork are also discussed.