Abstract
Due to the rapid development of mobile technology and smart devices, mobile social networking has become an essential platform for people to receive and provide emotional support in their daily lives. This paper investigates the critical determinants for people to use mobile social networking sites (SNSs) for emotional support. Further, the study analyzes the moderating effect of gender when people use mobile SNSs for emotional support. The findings indicate that both perceived emotional support and social influence are significant factors motivating users to seek emotional support through mobile SNSs. Notably, mobile convenience has a significant impact on satisfaction when using mobile SNSs for emotional support, which explains the popularity of its use in emotional support. Importantly, gender differences exist in accepting mobile SNSs for emotional support. We conclude that gender plays a significant moderating role in the use of mobile social networking for emotional support. Females intend to use mobile SNSs for emotional support more from social influence; however, social influence significantly impacts choices by both males and females. Further, actual user satisfaction significantly impacts males’ use intention of mobile SNSs for emotional support.
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APPENDIX A: Survey Questionnaire
APPENDIX A: Survey Questionnaire
Part A: Demographic Information
Age (subjects must be at least 18 years old): _____________
Gender: Male Female
Education: 1. High School or below 2. College 3. Graduate or above
How long have you been using mobile social networking systems (SNSs)? _____ (e.g., 1.5 years)
How many hours a day do you use mobile SNSs? ________ (e.g., 2.5 hours/day)
What type of mobile device do you use to access mobile SNSs?
1. Smartphone
2. Tablet
What type of mobile SNSs do you use? _____________________ (e.g., 1. Twitter, 2. Facebook, 3. Instagram, and 4. WeChat)
Part B: List of Model Construction and Items
Emotional Support (adapted from Oh et al., 2013; Yoo et al., 2014)
ES1: People on mobile SNSs provide encouragement to me.
ES2: People on mobile SNSs show me empathy.
ES3: People on mobile SNSs make me feel relieved.
ES4: Mobile SNSs make me feel not lonely.
ES5: Mobile SNSs are an important source of emotional support.
Social Influence (adapted from Nikou & Bouwman, 2014)
SI1: People who influence my behavior think that I should use mobile SNSs for emotional support.
SI2: People who are important to me think that I should use mobile SNSs for emotional support.
SI3: People who are important to me would recommend using mobile SNSs for emotional support.
Mobile Convenience (adapted from Ha et al., 2015)
MC1: Mobile SNSs conveniently provide immediate access to emotional support anywhere, anytime.
MC2: Mobile SNSs are convenient to get emotional support.
MC3: Mobile SNSs allow me to get emotional support for less effort.
MC4: Mobile SNSs are easy to get emotional support.
Satisfaction (adapted from Park et al., 2014)
SA1: Overall, I am satisfied with emotional support from mobile SNSs.
SA2: The emotional support that I am acquiring now from mobile SNSs meets my expectations.
SA3: I recommend mobile SNSs to others who intend to acquire emotional support. (removed)
SA4: Mobile SNSs are a beneficial tool for improving my emotional life. (removed)
Intention to Use (adapted from Park et al., 2014)
IU1: I intend to use mobile SNSs for emotional support as much as possible.
IU2: I intend to continue using mobile SNSs for emotional support in the future.
IU3: I would rather use mobile SNSs than other types of platforms for emotional support.
Intensity (Salehan & Negahban, 2013)
INT1: Visiting my mobile SNSs is part of my daily activity.
INT2: I check my mobile SNSs almost every day.
INT3: I feel out of touch when I have not logged onto my mobile SNSs for a day.
INT4: I feel I am part of a community with my mobile SNSs.
INT5: I would be sorry if my mobile SNSs shut down.
Comments: Please feel free to give opinions, suggestions, and comments about using mobile SNSs based on your experience.
*Measured using a 7-point Likert-type scale, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree).
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Li, X. Mobile social networking sites for emotional support: Moderating effect of gender. Curr Psychol 42, 7998–8009 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02108-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02108-5