1. University of CologneUniversity of Cologne
Department ofDepartment of EconomicEconomic andand
SocialSocial PsychologyPsychology
Christian Bosau, Jana Becks & Lisa Aelker
-- StudiVZStudiVZ ––
Different gratifications for different typesDifferent gratifications for different types
of usersof users

2. Bosau, Becks & Aelker – StudiVZ 6th Conference of the Media Psychology Division, 2009 Seite 2
PurposePurpose ofof thethe studystudy
Main question: Why is StudiVZ one of the most succesful websites?
Facts about StudiVZ:
It‘s NOT a website that addresses only a special user group (like Blogs,
Wiki-writers, online-gamers, etc.)
instead: almost every student is a member
Possible reasons:
all human beings have a relatively high need for affiliation
StudiVZ serves as a mean to satisfy this need, but in different ways
for different people
extraverted and introverted people may differ in their gratifications

3. Bosau, Becks & Aelker – StudiVZ 6th Conference of the Media Psychology Division, 2009 Seite 3
TwoTwo versionsversions ofof thethe debatedebate
„rich-get-richer“-hypothesis:
extraverted, highly sociable people get more social benefits from using
social network sites (SNS)
e.g. SNS serve as a mean to manage their social network more effectively (Kraut et al.,
2002); especially regarding weak ties (Ellison, Steinfield & Lampe, 2007)
“social compensation”-hypothesis:
introverted people, lacking social support offline, benefit from the internet
more, because they can form (new) connections more easily (McKenna & Bargh, 1998)
anonymity and less fear of being rejected can stimulate self-disclosure (Derlega et al.,
1993)
using Facebook may be helping to overcome barriers faced by students who have
low self-esteem (Ellison, Steinfield & Lampe, 2007)

4. Bosau, Becks & Aelker – StudiVZ 6th Conference of the Media Psychology Division, 2009 Seite 4
TheThe studystudy
Method:
online questionnaire (posted via mailing-lists and personal emails, snowball
sampling in StudiVZ) in autumn 2008
366 participants (mainly students from universities in Cologne, Bad Honnef)
age: mean=24,2 SD=3,4 male=36%, female=64%
Former studies:
Measurement of effects only
online
no comparison of real life
and online behaviour
Our study:
asking for behaviour in real
life AND in StudiVZ
comparison of both
Research question / hypotheses:
Extraverted people are expected to have more social activities in real life.
Do they benefit from StudiVZ more and they do even more socializing
online than introverted people, so the “rich-get-richer”?
Or, do introverted people catch up and they do more socializing online than in
real life, so “social deficiencies can be compensated”?

5. Bosau, Becks & Aelker – StudiVZ 6th Conference of the Media Psychology Division, 2009 Seite 5
Real life:
How many friends/acquaintances
do you have?
zero friends vs. zero acq.
1 to 2 friends vs. 1 to 4 acq.
3 to 4 friends vs. 5 to 9 acq.
…
DifferencesDifferences in real lifein real life
3,34
3,78
2,80
3,36
2
2,5
3
3,5
4
4,5
friends acquaintances
amount(scaled)
Extraverted Introverted
F(1) = 11,70;
p < .01;
η² = 0,04
F(1) = 8,54;
p < .01;
η² = 0,03
2,34
2,10
1,5
2
2,5
3
Offline
frequencyofsocialactivies
Extraverted Introverted
Social offline-activities (α = .77):
How many times do you …
go to the cinema with friends?
go to the pub with friends?
invite friends to your flat?
call friends?
…
F(1) = 18,76; p < .00; η² = 0,06

6. Bosau, Becks & Aelker – StudiVZ 6th Conference of the Media Psychology Division, 2009 Seite 6
DifferencesDifferences inin StudiVZStudiVZ--usageusage
However, NO differences
regarding amount of use:
frequency of log-ins
duration per day (minutes)
number of group membership
Extraverted and
Introverted use it in
almost the same way
1,96 1,89
1,5
2
2,5
3
Offline
frequencyofsocialactivies
Extraverted Introverted
Social online-activities (α = .85):
NO EFFECT (F(1) = 1,13; p > .05)
NO differences regarding kind of use
How many times do you …
„gruschel“ other people?
search for old friends?
chat via „Plauderkasten“?
found a new group?
…
:

7. Bosau, Becks & Aelker – StudiVZ 6th Conference of the Media Psychology Division, 2009 Seite 7
DifferencesDifferences inin socialsocial behaviourbehaviour
offlineoffline andand onlineonline
Same scale offline & online (α = .77):
If I like a person, I approach him/her (I „gruschel“ him/her).
If I go clubbing (If I‘m in StudiVZ), I often get to know new people.
If I‘m bored, I call friends (I write messages to friends in StudiVZ).
reversed: Normally I wait to be called instead of calling friends (wait for messages instead of writing others).
…
Clear difference „Offline“
Simple main effect: F(1) = 139,41; p < .00; η² = 0,32
NO difference „Online“
Simple main effect: F(1) = 1,56; p > .05
Introverted do it more „Online“
Simple main effect: F(1) = 50,59; p < .00; η² = 0,15
Extraverted do it more „Offline“
Simple main effect: F(1) = 7,84; p < .01; η² = 0,03
Clearly:
It‘s social
compensation?

8. Bosau, Becks & Aelker – StudiVZ 6th Conference of the Media Psychology Division, 2009 Seite 8
DifferencesDifferences inin behaviouralbehavioural resultsresults
F(1) = 7,08; p < .01; η² = 0,03 F(1) = 7,54; p < .01; η² = 0,03
F(1) = 8,34; p < .01; η² = 0,03
133,06
72,80
0
50
100
150
200
pictures
amount(exactnumber)
Extraverted Introverted
67,22
44,15
0
50
100
linked on pictures
amount(exactnumber)
Extraverted Introverted
Pictures in StudiVZ
Not the „rich-get-richer“?
At least „rich-stay-rich“!
147,05
117,94
0
50
100
150
200
'friends' in StudiVZ
amount(exactnumber)
Extraverted Introverted
F(1) = 7,04; p < .01; η² = 0,02
Number of StudiVZ friends
5,44
3,70
2
3
4
5
6
7
photo folders
amount(exactnumber)
Extraverted Introverted

9. Bosau, Becks & Aelker – StudiVZ 6th Conference of the Media Psychology Division, 2009 Seite 9
MotivesMotives
Reasons for using StudiVZ:
because I want to stay in touch with friends
1,07
1,55
1
2
talk about myself
more than in real life
agreement(scaled)
Extraverted Introverted
4,55
4,29
4
5
stay in touch
agreement(scaled)
Extraverted Introverted
F(1) = 5,80; p < .05; η² = 0,02
because I dare to talk more about myself
online than in real life
F(1) = 22,43; p < .000; η² = 0,07

10. Bosau, Becks & Aelker – StudiVZ 6th Conference of the Media Psychology Division, 2009 Seite 10
MotivesMotives
Need for affiliation
Psychological Motives (Multi-Motiv-Gitter):
4,89
5,54
4
5
6
7
fear of being rejected
amount
Extraverted Introverted
5,64
5,44
4
5
6
7
need for affiliation
amount
Extraverted Introverted
NO EFFECT
F(1) = 0,56; p > .05
Fear of being rejected
F(1) = 4,16; p < .05; η² = 0,014
StudiVZ can help introverted people to compensate their fear
of being rejected

11. Bosau, Becks & Aelker – StudiVZ 6th Conference of the Media Psychology Division, 2009 Seite 11
ConclusionConclusion
„rich-get-richer“ or “social compensation”?
however, extraverted people still have MORE friends and MORE pictures online
and they use it MORE often to stay in touch with their large network
so, the “rich ARE richer”, although not “rich-get-richer”
introverted people are catching up compared to social behaviour in real life and
behave online in the same way as extraverted people
so, they compensate online their social deficiencies from real life and their fear of
being rejected
For introverted people: It‘s „social compensation“.
However, for extraverted people the „rich-get-richer“-idea
can not be neglected totally.

12. Bosau, Becks & Aelker – StudiVZ 6th Conference of the Media Psychology Division, 2009 Seite 12
Thank you very much for your attention!
Comments and questions can be sent to:
Dr. Christian Bosau
christian.bosau@uni-koeln.de