Preference of online friends over face-to-face friends: Effect of interpersonal fears on online relationship building preference

Q2 Social Sciences

Interpersona Pub Date : 2022-06-28 DOI:10.5964/ijpr.6711

R. Shabahang, M. Aruguete, Hyejin Shim, Benyamin Mokhtari Chirani

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引用次数: 3

Abstract

The emergence of online social networking has increased development of exclusively online friendships. Individuals in online environments are willing to invest considerable time and effort to develop and maintain relationships as they would in other gathering spaces. In some cases, individuals find it preferable to make friends via the internet over more traditional means of relationship formation. The current study examines preference for online friends over face-to-face friends. Initially, we developed a brief, one-dimensional, 11-item questionnaire assessing online friendship preference based on semi-structured interviews. Confirmatory factor analysis showed support for a one-factor model. Internal consistency was established using inter-item correlation, corrected item-total correlation, and Cronbach’s α. Subsequently, we examined the psychological determinants and consequences of preference for online friendship formation. Participants who reported higher fear of intimacy and perceived relationship vulnerability reported greater preference for online friends over face-to-face friends. Preference for online friendship was related to increased risk of problematic internet use. The findings suggest that interpersonal fears, combined with attributes of online communication (e.g., reduced social cues and more personal control) motivate some individuals to prefer online intimacies over face-to-face friendships, thereby increasing time spent online.

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网络朋友对面对面朋友的偏好:人际恐惧对网络关系建立偏好的影响

在线社交网络的出现促进了纯在线友谊的发展。在线环境中的个人愿意投入大量的时间和精力来发展和维持关系，就像他们在其他聚会空间一样。在某些情况下，人们发现通过互联网交朋友比通过更传统的方式交朋友更可取。目前的研究调查了人们对网络朋友的偏好，而不是面对面的朋友。最初，我们开发了一份简短的、一维的、包含11个项目的基于半结构化访谈的在线友谊偏好评估问卷。验证性因子分析显示支持单因素模型。内部一致性采用项目间相关、校正项目-总相关和Cronbach’s α建立。随后，我们研究了在线友谊形成偏好的心理决定因素和后果。那些对亲密关系有更高恐惧和感知到关系脆弱性的参与者表示，他们更喜欢网上的朋友，而不是面对面的朋友。对网络友谊的偏好与网络使用问题的风险增加有关。研究结果表明，人际恐惧加上在线交流的特性(例如，减少社交线索和更多个人控制)促使一些人更喜欢在线亲密关系，而不是面对面的友谊，从而增加了在网上花费的时间。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Interpersona Social Sciences-Cultural Studies

CiteScore

1.00

自引率

0.00%

发文量

审稿时长

38 weeks

期刊介绍： 1) Interpersona aims at promoting scholarship in the field of interpersonal relationships based on different methodologies and stemming from several disciplines, including Psychology, Family Studies, Sociology, Anthropology, Communication Studies, Economics, Management Science, Biology, Health Sciences, History, and others. Interpersona aims at contributing to the collective construction of an Interpersonal Relationship Science. 2) Manuscripts examining a wide range of relationships, including close or intimate relationships and weak or temporary ties, are welcome. Some examples are indicated below: Biology - Biological foundations of human relationships: physiological and neurobiological phenomena related to interpersonal interactions. The evolutionary foundations of interpersonal relationships including comparative and animal studies of social interactions. Psychology and Family Studies: close or intimate relations including romantic relationships, family relationships and friendship. Family relationships encompass spouses, parents and children, siblings, and other relations among nuclear and extended family members.[...] 3) In addition to original empirical (qualitative or quantitative) research, theoretical or methodological contributions, integrative reviews, meta-analyses, comparative or historical studies, and critical assessments of the status of the field are welcome as submissions. 4) Interpersona is a totally free access journal and readers may read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of these articles without any charge. All papers are peer-reviewed by members of the editorial board or ad-hoc reviewers under the supervision of an editor. [...] 5) All Interpersona content is available in full text with no charge. All submitted papers are reviewed by at least two referees before being accepted for publication.