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Not Breaking Bonds on Facebook–Mixed–Methods Research on the Influence of Individuals’ Need to Belong on ‘Unfriending’ Behavior on Facebook

Not Breaking Bonds on Facebook–Mixed–Methods Research on the Influence of Individuals’ Need to... AbstractAlthough recent research demonstrates that people deem a considerable number of their Facebook friends dispensable, they nevertheless refrain from deleting a large number of contacts. While there are first studies on the reasons why users decide to “unfriend” contacts, there is no research on the motives for keeping social contacts even though they are identified as deletable. Based on assumptions of the need to belong theory (Baumeister & Leary, 1995), we conducted two exploratory studies (an interview study, N = 18, and a subsequent online survey, N = 255) to determine reasons for refraining from deleting dispensable contacts. A think-aloud element in the interviews confirmed that participants were willing and able to identify dispensable contacts but that only a minor proportion of these were actually deleted. Reasons for not deleting were related first and foremost to the relationship and the fear of eventually losing the possibility for contact. The online survey demonstrated that the individual need to belong predicts the number of friends but not the number of friends that have already been deleted. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png International Journal of Developmental Science IOS Press

Not Breaking Bonds on Facebook–Mixed–Methods Research on the Influence of Individuals’ Need to Belong on ‘Unfriending’ Behavior on Facebook

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Publisher
IOS Press
Copyright
Copyright © 2015 IOS Press and the authors. All rights reserved
ISSN
2192-001X
DOI
10.3233/DEV-150161
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

AbstractAlthough recent research demonstrates that people deem a considerable number of their Facebook friends dispensable, they nevertheless refrain from deleting a large number of contacts. While there are first studies on the reasons why users decide to “unfriend” contacts, there is no research on the motives for keeping social contacts even though they are identified as deletable. Based on assumptions of the need to belong theory (Baumeister & Leary, 1995), we conducted two exploratory studies (an interview study, N = 18, and a subsequent online survey, N = 255) to determine reasons for refraining from deleting dispensable contacts. A think-aloud element in the interviews confirmed that participants were willing and able to identify dispensable contacts but that only a minor proportion of these were actually deleted. Reasons for not deleting were related first and foremost to the relationship and the fear of eventually losing the possibility for contact. The online survey demonstrated that the individual need to belong predicts the number of friends but not the number of friends that have already been deleted.

Journal

International Journal of Developmental Science – IOS Press

Published: Aug 3, 2015

References

  • Friendship: An old concept with a new meaning?
    Amichai-Hamburger
  • The Need toBelong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as afundamental human motivation
    Baumeister
  • Understanding social relationship maintenance among friends: Why we don’t end those frustrating friendships
    Bushman
  • A comparison of offline and online friendship qualities at different stages of relationship development
    Chan
  • Online social networks: Why do students use Facebook?
    Cheung