Research
Social Media Effects on Identity and Behavior
How does the way we behave online affect who we are? I explore how social media raises self-esteem, encourages healthy coping strategies, or changes eating behaviors in youth. I have proposed a novel theoretical perspective, the hyper-identity shift model, to explain how features associated with digital media exaggerate attitudes change processes compared to other channels of communication.
Findings from this research could inform technologies for use at home or in the classroom. I also have collaborated with Dan Cosley from the Information Science department, and PhD students from Music and Computer Science to test whether attitudes are amenable to change as a function of physical interactivity with digital technology.
Social Connectedness, Social Media, and Health
As technology evolves, new systems are designed to enhance connectedness, especially for at risks groups, such as the elderly or infirm. However, there is currently no quantitative measure of social connectedness across mediated spaces. To address this I have developed two new methodological tools for measuring mediated social connection. The first relies on automated linguistic analysis to capture group cohesiveness and task performance via language behaviors. The second is a self-report measure, called the Mediated Social Connectedness (MSC) scale.
In one study of social connectedness in social media, I collaborated with Dr. Jeffrey Hancock and Dr. James Pennebaker to explore the implications of verbal mimicry using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) system. We examined both FTF and CMC groups and found that our algorithm for measuring verbal mimicry predicted group cohesiveness in CMC and FTF groups, and predicted task performance in FTF groups. The measure expands on previous work done at our lab and the Pennebaker lab on the diverse use of automated language analysis tools to detect individual differences and psychological states.
Perceiving one’s self as socially connected is critical to physical and mental health. This scale will be a useful tool for CMC and HCI researchers interested in comparing how different systems generate a sense of social connectedness, or how different uses of a single system generate a sense of social connectedness. Future studies include a project with Cornell’s HCI lab to use the MSC scale in conjunction with tests of a mobile device for enhancing social connectedness for cancer patients. The project is being done with support from Cornell’s Weil Medical Center in New York and the National Institute of Health. This data will allow me to track relationships in use of the system, self-reports of connectedness, self-reports of other mental and physical states, and behavioral health measures.