Facebook is among the top used websites in the world, and research has shown that Facebook use is related to individual personality characteristics such as well-being and self-esteem. This study builds on previous research, expanding to investigate attachment-related anxiety and avoidance and relational certainty. The current study examined relationships between Facebook use (both general and for surveillance) and relational certainty, attachment-related anxiety and avoidance, and self-esteem in undergraduate students (N = 261). Online methods were used for data collection, and individuals with their relationship displayed on Facebook reported more relational certainty; however, the more time they spent on the site, the less certain they were with their relationship. Individuals with high attachment-related anxiety were more likely to use Facebook for surveillance, and both attachment anxiety and Facebook use for surveillance were linked to lower self-esteem. These findings indicate that individuals with their relationship status displayed on Facebook have more relational certainty and exhibit less attachment-related anxiety and avoidance. Individuals with high attachment anxiety use Facebook for surveillance. These results add to the expanding literature on Facebook and social networking sites, showing that different people use Facebook in varying ways. As social networking continues to be a staple in the lives of nearly one billion users, it is important to keep researching how people use it and what the potential implications of this use are.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:pdx.edu/oai:pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu:open_access_etds-2983 |
| Date | 06 August 2014 |
| Creators | Tucker, Jenna Rae |
| Publisher | PDXScholar |
| Source Sets | Portland State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Dissertations and Theses |
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