Why do you use Facebook? Understanding affiliation motivation and perceived social rewards.

• Main Author: Chia, Shi Xian.
• Other Authors: Lee Sau-Lai
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences::Psychology::Motivation
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/39930
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

In recent years, social networking sites such as Facebook are new social contact tools that allow people to communicate online. This paper studied the reasons behind the intensive use of social networking sites among college students by exploring the relationship between Facebook use, affiliation motivation and perceived social rewards received. It was found that individuals with stronger affiliation motivation used Facebook with higher frequency. In addition, perceived social rewards received from Facebook to fulfil affiliation need predicted the use of Facebook connecting features but not non-connecting features. Furthermore, individuals who perceived to receive more social rewards from Facebook had higher frequency and longer duration of using the social networking site, Facebook.