Open AccessBehavioral contagion on social media: Effects of social norms, design interventions, and critical media literacy on self-disclosure
Author(s) -
Philipp K. Masur,
Dominic DiFranzo,
Natalya N. Bazarova
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0254670
Subject(s) - self disclosure , psychology , perception , media literacy , social media , social psychology , norm (philosophy) , literacy , psychological intervention , social influence , mass media , advertising , pedagogy , neuroscience , psychiatry , political science , law , business
Social norms are powerful determinants of human behaviors in offline and online social worlds. While previous research established a correlational link between norm perceptions and self-reported disclosure on social network sites (SNS), questions remain about downstream effects of prevalent behaviors on perceived norms and actual disclosure on SNS. We conducted two preregistered studies using a realistic social media simulation. We further analyzed buffering effects of critical media literacy and privacy nudging. The results demonstrate a disclosure behavior contagion, whereby a critical mass of posts with visual disclosures shifted norm perceptions, which, in turn, affected perceivers’ own visual disclosure behavior. Critical media literacy was negatively related and moderated the effect of norms on visual disclosure behavioral intentions. Neither critical media literacy nor privacy nudge affected actual disclosure behaviors, however. These results provide insights into how behaviors may spread on SNS through triggering changes in perceived social norms and subsequent disclosure behaviors.