Market Research Assignment : Behavioural study of Facebook users - Their online depiction of an extended self-personality

1. BEHAVIOURAL STUDY OF FACEBOOK USERS,
The way they depict their Extended Self

2. INTRODUCTION
• Facebook is the largest online social network, founded in
February 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and fellow Harvard
students.
• Facebook has more than 1.11 Billion users worldwide as on
March 2013.
• Despite the increasing integration of OSN activity into
everyday life, however, there has been no research on the
most fundamental question about OSN profiles : Do they
convey accurate impressions of profile owners?
• Facebook users manage information, find entertainment
and manage , they also express their identity and "enhance
social connections"

3. OBJECTIVE AND PROBLEM OF THE
RESEARCH
• To study the behaviour of Facebook users and
find the most relevant factor affecting them.
• To understand the factors that influence
Facebook users to project their extended self
on virtual space.
• Problem being the difference in the behaviour
of an individual when exposed to Facebook.

4. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
A primary research was conducted by communicating with 100
respondents through a self designed questionnaire in Mumbai
TARGET DEFINITION:
All those who are active on social networking sites like Facebook and
prefer sharing and expressing on Facebook.
SAMPLING METHOD
• A sample size of 100 was taken, both male and female of different age
groups and the respondents were asked to fill an anonymous survey with
questions which were indirectly asked to know their perception and
insights.
• A quantitative research was held through questionnaire to understand
majority responses of people through numbers to evaluate approximate
results
• The sampling method used was Non probabilistic - Convenience sampling

5. OBSERVATION 1:
• The table of cumulative % column shows that
there 3 factors that account for 67.367% of
the total variance (i.e. information contained
in the 10 variables which we have reduced to
3 factors).
• In rotated component matrix ,the loadings
> 0.7 were considered

6. 1. Mode of expression
2. Connected to all
3. Confessions made easy
4. Image management
5. Participation and discussion
6. Warm relationships
7. Fun, enjoyment, fame, self
marketing
8. Reflection of real personality
9. Be a part of the virtual
group
10. Make friends
1. Connected to all+
Fun, enjoyment, fame, self
marketing + Make more friends
2.Mode of expression +
Confessions made easy
3.Participation and discussion +
Reflection of real personality
1. SOCIAL
2. FREEDOM OF
EXPRESSION
3. ESSENCE OF SELF IN
PARTICIPATION .
Observation 1

7. OBSERVATION 2:
• The table of cumulative % column shows that
there 2 factors that account for 65.555% of
the total variance (i.e. information contained
in the 10 variables which we have reduced to
3 factors).
• In rotated component matrix ,the loadings
> 0.7 were considered

8. 1. To hide weakness
2. Fear of expression
3. Camouflaged personality
4. To overcome the difficulty of
real life social interaction
5. Projection of ideal self
6. To let Facebook friends
know more about you then
your family
7. Known to all
8. Meet one’s desired
personality
9. Fake projection
10. Addiction and need of
virtual presence
1. Projection of ideal self + To
let Facebook friends know
more about you then your
family +Fake projection
2. To overcome the difficulty of
real life social interaction +
Known to all + Addiction and
need of virtual presence
1.PROJECTING POSSIBLE
SELF
2. ADDICTION TO VIRTUL
COMMUNICATION
Observation 2

9. Make more friends
Be a part of the virtual group
Reflection of real personality
Fun, enjoyment, fame, self…
2.3 2.35 2.4 2.45 2.5 2.55 2.6 2.65
Warm relationships
Participation
Image management
Confessions made easy
Connected to all
Mode of expression
Mean

10. CONCLUSION
• SOCIAL , FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION and ESSENCE OF
SELF IN PARTICIPATION are the 3 factors that describe
a positive behaviour of Facebook user.
• PROJECTING POSSIBLE SELF and ADDICTION TO
VIRTUL COMMUNICATION are the 2 factors that
describe the extended self of a Facebook user

11. LIMITATIONS:
• Difficulty in extracting the actual thought
process of the respondents
• Many other factors apart from the ones
covered are yet to be discovered as sky is the
limit
• Not all respondents were exposed to their
own reason of showing their extended self

12. REFERENCES:
• Journal of Consumer Research Inc.
Possessions and the Extended Self
Author(s): Russell W. Belk
• Misty Harris Published an article – “Awesome on Facebook, awesome in real life?
• Facebook Profiles Reflect Actual Personality, Not Self-Idealization
Mitja D. Back1, Juliane M. Stopfer1, Simine Vazire2, Sam Gaddis3, Stefan C.
Schmukle4, Boris Egloff1, and Samuel D. Gosling3
• Arkell, H., (2013) Coroner warns of dangers of Facebook after student, 19, targeted by young
women bullies online hanged himself. Retrieved from
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2513782/Facebook-bullies-led-suicide-student-19-
hanged-himself.html#ixzz35J0zKCYX
• Manago, A. M., Graham, M. B., Greenfield, P. M., & Salimkhan, G. (2008). Self-presentation
and gender on MySpace. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 29, 446–458.
doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2008.07.001.
• The Real Reason Why So Many People Overshare on Facebook- By Paul Hiebert. This article
originally appeared on Pacific Standard magazine's website. Future Tense is a partnership
of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University.
• Blog by JESSE LEVI WEIDNER ( APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY – Student blog for PSYCH 424
Applied Social Psychology) who posted an article on October 25, 2011 – “ The Facebook
Monster ”

15. 6%
84%
10%
0%
AGE
BELOW 20 YEARS
20 -30 YEARS
30 - 40 YEARS
40 YEARS AND
ABOVE

16. 64%
36%
SEX
MALE
FEMALE

17. 13
42
29
12
4
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
MOST
LIKELY
LIKELY NEITHER
LIKELY NOR
LESS LIKELY
LESS LIKELY LEAST
LIKELY
MODE OF EXPRESSION

18. 15
CONNECTED TO ALL
44
26
12
3
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
MOST LIKELY LIKELY NEITHER
LIKELY NOR
LESS LIKELY
LESS LIKELY LEAST LIKELY

19. 20
CONFESSIONS MADE EASY
26
40
7 7
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
MOST LIKELY LIKELY NEITHER LIKELY
NOR LESS
LIKELY
LESS LIKELY LEAST LIKELY

20. 22
IMAGE / IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT
48
6
11
13
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
MOST LIKELY LIKELY NEITHER LIKELY
NOR LESS
LIKELY
LESS LIKELY LEAST LIKELY

21. Participation and discussion on acute social topics
19
35
26
11
9
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
MOST LIKELY LIKELY NEITHER LIKELY
NOR LESS
LIKELY
LESS LIKELY LEAST LIKELY

22. 30
Feeling of belonging (warm relationships)
26
25
10
9
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
MOST LIKELY LIKELY NEITHER LIKELY
NOR LESS
LIKELY
LESS LIKELY LEAST LIKELY

23. 20
Fun, enjoyment, fame, self marketing
35
29
11
5
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
MOST LIKELY LIKELY NEITHER LIKELY
NOR LESS
LIKELY
LESS LIKELY LEAST LIKELY

24. An individuals’ real personality is reflected on Facebook
32
22 22
13
11
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
MOST LIKELY LIKELY NEITHER LIKELY
NOR LESS
LIKELY
LESS LIKELY LEAST LIKELY

25. 5
Be a part of the virtual group
51
32
10
2
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
MOST LIKELY LIKELY NEITHER LIKELY
NOR LESS
LIKELY
LESS LIKELY LEAST LIKELY

26. 17
Make friends and share your thoughts easily.
29
37
10
7
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
MOST LIKELY LIKELY NEITHER LIKELY
NOR LESS
LIKELY
LESS LIKELY LEAST LIKELY

27. 30
31
24
12
3
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
MOST LIKELY LIKELY NEITHER LIKELY
NOR LESS
LIKELY
LESS LIKELY LEAST LIKELY
HIDE WEAKNESS

28. 36
FEAR OF EXPRESSION
24
27
7 6
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
MOST LIKELY LIKELY NEITHER LIKELY
NOR LESS
LIKELY
LESS LIKELY LEAST LIKELY

29. 29
To show a camouflaged personality (young and
43
11 12
5
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
MOST LIKELY LIKELY NEITHER LIKELY
NOR LESS
LIKELY
LESS LIKELY LEAST LIKELY
glamorous)

30. To overcome the difficulty of real life social interaction
19
28
41
8
4
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
MOST LIKELY LIKELY NEITHER LIKELY
NOR LESS
LIKELY
LESS LIKELY LEAST LIKELY

31. 48
To fulfil aspirations of self projection (ideal self)
25
14
10
3
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
MOST LIKELY LIKELY NEITHER LIKELY
NOR LESS
LIKELY
LESS LIKELY LEAST LIKELY

32. let facebook friends know more about you then your
7
57
12
17
7
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
MOST LIKELY LIKELY NEITHER LIKELY
NOR LESS
LIKELY
LESS LIKELY LEAST LIKELY
family

33. To be known to all (diaries that were once private only
35
with close friends and family are known to all)
11
34
11
9
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
MOST LIKELY LIKELY NEITHER LIKELY
NOR LESS
LIKELY
LESS LIKELY LEAST LIKELY

34. Try to meet one’s desired personality (Online
representation influence the way we want to see
11
47
26
9
7
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
MOST LIKELY LIKELY NEITHER LIKELY
NOR LESS
LIKELY
LESS LIKELY LEAST LIKELY
ourselves offline)

35. 12
Fake projection of one’s personality
34
39
6
9
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
MOST LIKELY LIKELY NEITHER LIKELY
NOR LESS
LIKELY
LESS LIKELY LEAST LIKELY

36. 35
Addiction and need of virtual presence
22
29
6
8
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
MOST LIKELY LIKELY NEITHER LIKELY
NOR LESS
LIKELY
LESS LIKELY LEAST LIKELY