1. University of CologneUniversity of Cologne
Department of Economic andDepartment of Economic and
Social PsychologySocial Psychology
Christian Bosau, Oliver Fischer & Marcus Koll
-- StudiVZStudiVZ ––
Determinants of Social Networking andDeterminants of Social Networking and
Dissemination of Information amongDissemination of Information among
StudentsStudents

2. Bosau, Fischer & Koll – StudiVZ ICP 2008 Seite 2
PurposePurpose ofof the studythe study
Main question: What are reasons for using StudiVZ?
Detailed Questions:
What are the reasons for joining the network?
Which factors determine specific activities/ways of using the network?
What are the reasons for the disclosure of personal information
in the network?
Potentially relevant factors are:
personality
motives of media use
sociodemographics

3. Bosau, Fischer & Koll – StudiVZ ICP 2008 Seite 3
The studyThe study
Method:
online questionnaire
link posted via mailing-lists and personal emails
at the end of 2007
before StudiVZ introduced new user options regarding security
and privacy
students from universities in Cologne and Bad Honnef
723 participants: 645 StudiVZ-members, 69 non-members
age: mean = 23.9 SD = 3.7; male = 36%, female = 64%
„digital natives“: 3.4 hours internet usage per day, familiar with all
general internet tools

4. Bosau, Fischer & Koll – StudiVZ ICP 2008 Seite 4
WhyWhy dodo studentsstudents becomebecome aa membermember??
Big FiveBig Five GenderGender AgeAge Relation-
ship
Relation-
ship
StudiVZ-
membership
StudiVZ-
membership
no no
younger
people
r = -.40**
more
singles
t=2.85**, d=.22
additional factor:
willingness to share information online in general:
• r = .20** the more likely people are willing to share information in the
internet, the more likely they are a member of StudiVZ
additional factor:
willingness to share information online in general:
• r = .20** the more likely people are willing to share information in the
internet, the more likely they are a member of StudiVZ
Caution: only 9.5% were not a member of StudiVZ

5. Bosau, Fischer & Koll – StudiVZ ICP 2008 Seite 5
Explaining behaviourExplaining behaviour
Usage of StudiVZ (dependent):
quantitative usage:
frequency of log-ins
number of friends on the
friends-list
number of groups, students
are a member of
qualitative usage:
kind of information in the profile
Descriptive results:
47% several times per day, 20% daily
2/3 at least daily
mean: 87 friends, SD: 64
mean: 23 groups, SD: 20
personrelated & group info: mostly
hobbies/freetime: some
contact details, professional: seldom

6. Bosau, Fischer & Koll – StudiVZ ICP 2008 Seite 6
Explaining behaviourExplaining behaviour
Explaining factors (independent):
personality: Big Five
motives:
classical media usage motives
specific StudiVZ-motives
sociodemographics:
age
gender
relationship status
Usage of StudiVZ (dependent):
quantitative usage:
frequency of log-ins
number of friends on the
friends-list
number of groups, students
are a member of
qualitative usage:
kind of information in the profile

7. Bosau, Fischer & Koll – StudiVZ ICP 2008 Seite 7
WhyWhy dodo people use StudiVZpeople use StudiVZ??
1) to stay in contact/keep in touch (α = .81); 7 items
3) to find new (similar) people (α = .76); 4 items
4) high social status (α = .77); 3 items
5) positive self-portrayal/-image (α = .70); 2 items
6) easier interpersonal approaching on the internet (α = .72); 4 items
2) daily importance (α = .77); 5 items
StudiVZ-motives:
Development of new scales (based on literature, experts, brainstorming
with members, etc.), in total 23 items:
Descriptive results:
• contact factor: highest agreement
• factor 2-5: medium agreement
• online approaching: low agreement

8. Bosau, Fischer & Koll – StudiVZ ICP 2008 Seite 8
QuantityQuantity ofof usageusage -- 11
Big FiveBig Five media usage motives:
escapism, fun, being informed, activity
media usage motives:
escapism, fun, being informed, activity
Log-insLog-ins extraversion: β = .17**
fun: β = .33**
activity: β = .25**
number of
friends
number of
friends
number of
groups
number of
groups
extraversion: β = .25**
activity: β = .18**
fun: β = .12*
activity: β = .14**
fun: β = .13*
no high coefficients (i.e. >.10)

9. Bosau, Fischer & Koll – StudiVZ ICP 2008 Seite 9
QuantityQuantity ofof usageusage -- 22
StudiVZ usage motives:
stay in contact, daily importance, new people,
social status, self-image, online approaching
StudiVZ usage motives:
stay in contact, daily importance, new people,
social status, self-image, online approaching
Log-insLog-ins
daily importance: β = .52**
stay in contact: β = .20**
number of
friends
number of
friends
number of
groups
number of
groups
daily importance: β = .18**
stay in contact: β = .15**
daily importance: β = .22**

10. Bosau, Fischer & Koll – StudiVZ ICP 2008 Seite 10
QuantityQuantity ofof usageusage -- 33
GenderGender AgeAge Relation-
ship
Relation-
ship
Log-insLog-ins no
younger people
more often
r = -.35**
singles
more often
t=3.04**; d=.24
number of
friends
number of
friends no
number of
groups
number of
groups
singles have
more groups
t=2.79**; d=.23
men have
more friends
t=3.51**; d=.30
younger people
have more friends
r = -.23**
younger people
have more groups
r = -.25**
no

11. Bosau, Fischer & Koll – StudiVZ ICP 2008 Seite 11
QualityQuality ofof usageusage -- 11
Big FiveBig Five media usage motives:
escapism, fun, being informed, activity
media usage motives:
escapism, fun, being informed, activity
kind of
information
kind of
information
contact detailscontact details
group infogroup info
hobbies/freetimehobbies/freetime
personrelatedpersonrelated
professionalprofessional
escapism: β = .13**
fun: β = .22**
fun: β = .18**
fun: β = .14**
neuroticism: β = -.12**
no high coefficients (i.e. >.10)
no high coefficients (i.e. >.10)
no high coefficients (i.e. >.10)
no
fun: β = .31**

12. Bosau, Fischer & Koll – StudiVZ ICP 2008 Seite 12
QualityQuality ofof usageusage -- 22
StudiVZ usage motives:
contact, daily importance, new people,
social status, self-image, online approaching
StudiVZ usage motives:
contact, daily importance, new people,
social status, self-image, online approaching
no high coefficients (i.e. >.11)
stay in contact: β = .25**
new people: β = .13**
daily importance: β = .25**, stay in contact: β = .21**
no high coefficients (i.e. >.12)
kind of
information
kind of
information
contact detailscontact details
group infogroup info
hobbies/freetimehobbies/freetime
personrelatedpersonrelated
professionalprofessional

13. Bosau, Fischer & Koll – StudiVZ ICP 2008 Seite 13
QualityQuality ofof usageusage -- 33
GenderGender AgeAge Relation-
ship
Relation-
ship
men: t=3.50**; d=.30
no
singles: t=2.14*; d=.17
no
no
younger people =
more information
r = -.29**
r = -.20**
r = -.21**
no
no
kind of
information
kind of
information
contact detailscontact details
group infogroup info
hobbies/freetimehobbies/freetime
personrelatedpersonrelated
professionalprofessional

14. Bosau, Fischer & Koll – StudiVZ ICP 2008 Seite 14
Privacy ProtectionPrivacy Protection??
Do students protect their private information?
students who DON‘T protect their profile put in MORE information (r = .18**)!
is it just naivety?
37,2%
24,9%
31,2%
34,1%
62,8%
75,1%
68,8%
65,9%
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
hidden profile NO hidden profile
„I can‘t see who looks at my profile“ (95%)
„External companies can watch my profile“ (88%)
„I don‘t have control over distribution of data“ (76%)
„Strangers can see my profile“ (86%)

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ConclusionConclusion
StudiVZ-Users voluntarily reveal a lot of information about
themselves to the internet community
change of the boundary of private and public information
especially among younger people
some correlations with relationship status, almost no with gender
only some support for personality differences:
the StudiVZ-User is more likely an outgoing extrovert than an
anxious neurotic
StudiVZ as the daily drug for „contact-addicts“?
finally: is it just fun and entertainment?

16. Bosau, Fischer & Koll – StudiVZ ICP 2008 Seite 16
Thank you very much for your attention!
Comments and questions can be sent to:
Christian Bosau
christian.bosau@uni-koeln.de