Fear of Evaluation and Online Self-Disclosure on WeChat: Moderating Effects of Protective Face Orientation
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SUBMITTER: Zeng R
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8424039 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:BackgroundGiven that governmental prevention measures restricted most face-to-face communications, online self-disclosure via smartphones emerged as an alternative coping strategy that aimed at reducing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people's psychological health. Prepandemic research demonstrated that online self-disclosure benefits people's psychological health by establishing meaningful relationships, obtaining social support, and achieving self-acceptance, particularly in times of crisis. However, it is unclear whether these dynamics transition well to lockdown conditions where online self-disclosure must stand almost entirely on its own. Longitudinal investigations are needed to gain insights into the psychological functionalities of online self-disclosure during the COVID-19 pandemic.ObjectiveThis study aimed to determine the temporal associations between smartphone online self-disclosure (as a communicative behavior) and critical indicators of psychological health (including psychopathological, as well as hedonic and eudaimonic states) during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Austria.MethodsWe conducted a representative 2-wave panel survey between late March/April 2020 and May 2020. A total of 416 participants completed both waves (43.1% attrition rate, given n=731 participants who completed the first wave). A partially metric measurement invariant overtime structural equation model was used to determine the temporal associations among online self-disclosure, fear of COVID-19, happiness, and psychological well-being.ResultsThe analysis revealed that fear of COVID-19 significantly predicted online self-disclosure over time (b=0.24, P=.003) and happiness over time (b=-0.14, P=.04), but not psychological well-being (b=0.03, P=.48), that is, stronger COVID-19 fears at T1 prompted more online self-disclosure and less happiness at T2. Online self-disclosure, on the other hand, significantly predicted happiness (b=0.09, P=.02), but neither fear of COVID-19 (b=-0.01, P=.57) nor psychological well-being (b=-0.01, P=.57) over time. Participants who engaged more strongly in online self-disclosure at T1 felt happier at T2, but they did not differ from less-disclosing participants concerning COVID-19 fears and psychological well-being at T2. Importantly, happiness and psychological well-being were significantly related over time (happiness T1 → psychological well-being T2: b=0.11, P<.001; psychological well-being T1 → happiness T2: b=0.42, P<.001).ConclusionsOur findings suggest that online self-disclosure might play a pivotal role in coping with pandemic stressors. With restrictions on their options, individuals increasingly turn to their smartphones and social media to disclose their feelings, problems, and concerns during lockdown. While online self-disclosure might not alleviate fears or improve psychological well-being, our results demonstrate that it made people experience more happiness during this crisis. This psychological resource may help them withstand the severe psychological consequences of the COVID-19 crisis over longer timeframes.
| S-EPMC8477910 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Replacing or supplementing face-to-face health screening by occupational physicians with online surveys can be attractive for various reasons. However, the (cost-)effectiveness of both depends on employees' willingness to disclose occupational health problems. This article investigates whether employees show a different willingness to disclose information in online surveys compared to face-to-face consultations with an occupational physician. Employees from four Flemish hospitals were asked whether they would disclose a range of typical occupational health problems to either surveys or physicians. The results were analyzed through chi-square tests and multilevel ordinary least squares regression. Of the 776 respondents, 26% indicated that they did not always disclose health problems. Respondents were more inclined to disclose mental health problems to a survey than face-to-face to a physician, whereas the opposite was true for medication misuse. Being male, younger, with lower educational attainment or lower trust in physicians, taking medication, or having a lower risk on alcohol abuse increased the likelihood of a person withholding information. We conclude that this study provides indications that online vs. face-to-face health check-ups have different strengths and weaknesses in this respect. These must be considered when evaluating the need to use online surveys (instead of, or together with, face-to-face contacts) for health screening.
| S-EPMC7913988 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Although the impact entrepreneurial learning on firm performance has attracted significant attention, a comprehensive understanding by integrating entrepreneurial orientation and individual self-efficacy remain poorly understood. We fill this void by integrating the above variables into a model and examine these relations. Findings from a sample of 411 nascent entrepreneurs support that entrepreneurial learning is positively related to firm performance, and this relationship is fully mediated by entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE). We also found entrepreneurial orientation strengthens the positive impact of entrepreneurial learning on ESE. The findings indicate that ESE must be in place to maximize the effect of entrepreneurial learning on performance, and entrepreneurial orientation is an important contingency in shaping entrepreneurial learning's impact on nascent entrepreneur's self-efficacy.
| S-EPMC8426342 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Most research on the effects of disclosure on close relationships have been done using offline disclosure. However, disclosure done online has disparate features and thus its effects on relationships may also differ. In five studies and using primes emulating Facebook timelines and messages, we compared the effects of disclosure depth on intimacy and satisfaction in online vs. offline contexts, in romantic vs. friend relationships, and with differing content (self- vs. partner-focused). After demonstrating consistent differences, we examined one mechanism that accounted for the differential effects of online vs. offline disclosure in romantic relationships: perceived inclusivity of the recipients. Results revealed that greater disclosure was associated with higher relational intimacy and satisfaction when done offline (Studies 1 and 4), and lower intimacy and satisfaction when done online (Studies 1-4), in both the discloser (Study 1) and his or her partner (Studies 2-4). The negative association between online disclosure and intimacy was present in romantic relationships, but not in friendships (Study 1). Importantly, this effect only appeared when perceived inclusivity of recipients was high (Study 4). Focusing the online disclosure content on the partner/relationship dissipated its negative effects (Study 5). Together, these studies extend further knowledge on how the effects of disclosure are contextualized, and suggest that disclosure done publicly online may be detrimental to romantic relationships.
| S-EPMC6398828 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The present study tested several pathways detailed in the theory of resilience and relational load (TRRL) in the context of urban couples living together during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fifty cohabitating couples completed a baseline assessment and 7 days of daily diaries. Results indicated that, the more an individual or their partner reported being communally oriented within their relationship at baseline, the greater that individual’s relational thriving each day. Results also revealed that, the more an individual reported being communally oriented, the more they viewed their partner as engaging in self-disclosure each day. Two indirect effects emerged, such that one’s own communal orientation positively predicted their perceptions of their partner’s self-disclosure, which in turn predicted greater individual and relational thriving. These findings and their implications for the TRRL, couples’ communication, and coping with pandemic-related stress are discussed.
| S-EPMC10240288 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundChina has approximately 300 million current smokers, and smoking cessation services are limited. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a Cognitive Behavioral Theory-based smoking cessation intervention ('WeChat WeQuit') via the most popular social media platform in China, WeChat.MethodsA parallel, single-blind, two-arm randomised controlled trial was conducted via WeChat between March 19, 2020 and November 16, 2022. Chinese-speaking adult smokers (n = 2000) willing to quit within one month were recruited and randomised in a 1:1 ratio. The intervention group (n = 1005) received the 'WeChat WeQuit' program and the control group (n = 955) received control messages for 14 weeks (2-week prequit and 12-week postquit). Participants were followed up to 26 weeks after the quit date. The primary outcome was self-reported continuous smoking abstinence rate, biochemically validated at 26 weeks. The secondary outcomes were self-reported 7-day and continuous abstinence rates at 6 months. All analyses were by intention to treat. The trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03169686).FindingsBy intention-to-treat analysis, the biochemically verified 26-week continuous abstinence rate was 11.94% in the intervention group and 2.81% in the control group (OR = 4.68, 95% CI: 3.07-7.13, p < 0.0001). The self-reported 7-day abstinence rates ranged from 39.70% at week 1-32.04% at week 26 for the intervention group and 14.17%-11.86% in the control group for weeks 1 and 26, respectively; the self-reported continuous abstinence rates at weeks 1 and 26 ranged from 34.33% to 24.28% and 9.65% to 6.13% in the intervention group and the control group respectively (all p < 0.0001). Participants with low nicotine dependence or previous quit attempts were more likely to successfully quit smoking.InterpretationThe 'WeChat WeQuit' intervention significantly increased smoking abstinence rates at 6 months and should be considered for treatment-seeking smokers in China.FundingThe research is supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province (2020JJ4794, YLiao), the K.C. Wong Postdoctoral Fellowship for YLiao to study at King's College London, and China Medical Board (CMB) Open Competition Program (grant no. 15-226, 22-485, YLiao).
| S-EPMC10209122 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The current study examined the effect of exposure to online support-seeking posts containing different levels of depth self-disclosure (baseline, peripheral, core) affecting the quality (person-centeredness and politeness) of participants' support-provision messages. Participants of the study were assigned to the role of a support-provider. Compared to participants who read support-seeking posts with baseline and core self-disclosure, participants who read support-seeking posts with peripheral self-disclosure rated the support-seekers as less anonymous. Compared to participants who read support-seeking posts in the baseline condition, participants who read the support-seeking posts with peripheral self-disclosure wrote support-provision messages with higher level of person-centeredness and politeness. Participants' perceived anonymity of the support-seekers mediated the effect of the depth of self-disclosure on the politeness of the response messages.
| S-EPMC7283557 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Under the basic framework of self-determination theory, the present study examined a moderated mediation model in which exhibitionism mediated the relationship between online basic psychological need satisfaction and self-disclosure on the mobile Internet, and this mediation effect was moderated by narcissism. A total of 296 Chinese middle school students participated in this research. The results revealed that exhibitionism fully mediated the association between online competence need satisfaction and self-disclosure on the mobile net, and partly mediated the association between online relatedness need satisfaction and self-disclosure on the mobile net. The mediating path from online basic psychological need satisfaction (competence and relatedness) to exhibitionism was moderated by narcissism. Compared to the low level of narcissism, online competence need satisfaction had a stronger predictive power on exhibitionism under the high level of narcissism condition. In contrast, online relatedness need satisfaction had a weaker predictive power on exhibitionism.
| S-EPMC5000554 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundDeliberate self-harm includes direct and indirect behaviors that cause harm to the body. Various manifestations of such behavior (e.g., non-suicidal self-injuries) are prevalent in adolescent and youth populations, and they often serve as precursors of subsequent suicidal behavior. The interpersonal dynamics that lead to self-harm behavior remain understudied. Interpersonal sensitivity, defined as an anticipation of criticism and fear of rejection in one's relationships with other people, may become one such factor.AimThe present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between interpersonal sensitivity, psychopathological symptoms, and types of self-harm.MethodsThe sample (n=804, 17-35 years, M=23.3±4.6 years) was recruited in online communities. A survey developed by the authors was used to measure the types of self-harm. Other measures included the Interpersonal Sensitivity Measure and Symptom Checklist-90-R.ResultsIt was discovered that superficial self-injuries could be related to more severe types of self-harm, destructive for the body on the whole (e.g., risk-taking, deprivation, fasting, substance abuse). Fear of rejection and psychopathological symptoms emerged as predictors of both superficial self-injuries and self-destructive behavior. Although younger respondents (17-19 years old) were more likely to inflict on themselves superficial self-injuries, those who scored high on fear of rejection were more likely to report more severe self-destructive behavior. Acute psychological distress elevated this risk for both younger and older participants (27-35 years old).ConclusionsThe results of the study point at the important role the dynamics of interpersonal relationships plays in perpetuating self-harm.
| S-EPMC11262075 | biostudies-literature
Project description:This study investigated whether the success of students in a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MA TESOL) assessment course was comparable regardless of their chosen mode of attendance (face-to-face, synchronously online, asynchronously online) in this “Triple Hybrid” (or “TriHy”) class. In an interactive, convergent, mixed-methods design, a pragmatic, participant-focused framework guided the study. Data collection extended to pre-, while-, and post-surveys of the participants; tracking of mode of communication with the instructor; as well as proxies for students’ success in the course, including the rate of course completion, weekly class attendance, completion of weekly assignments, grades on low-stakes individual assignments, grades on a high-stakes individual assignment, and a final course grade. The findings of the quantitative and qualitative analyses revealed that overall there was no statistically significant difference in the learning outcomes among the modalities even though one of the groups’ pre-test scores did differ from the others’ significantly. Although the students’ success in the course did not differ, their perception of the factors that contributed to their success did. The findings suggest that with considerable institutional support, substantial investment of time and commitment from the instructor, and meaningful choices from the students, the quality of instruction even in a language-teacher-preparation course focused on skill building does not need to be compromised. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43545-022-00434-4.
| S-EPMC9328648 | biostudies-literature