Facebook is one of the most popular social media sites in the world, where users can create profiles to keep others updated on their lives. Facebook has changed the way many people share information about their interpersonal relationships, because most relationships are maintained or initiated in online environments. While Facebook is used for a variety of reasons, some individuals take the phrase "tell us what's on your mind" a little too seriously by posting too much information online.

1. What’s on your mind?
Measuring Expressive Behavior on
Facebook
By: Jennifer L. Kalchik and Abby M. Taylor
CN 498 – Research Methods

2. WHY FACEBOOK?

3. RESEARCH QUESTION
 Are adult females ages 18-29 more likely to report
that they are more expressive in their verbal
messages/posts and personal images on Facebook
compared to males?

4. EXPRESSIVE BEHAVIOR
ON FACEBOOK
Sending
messages
to friends

5. EXPRESSIVE BEHAVIOR
ON FACEBOOK
Posting a
message on a
friend’s wall

6. Updating
your
Facebook
status
EXPRESSIVE BEHAVIOR
ON FACEBOOK

7. Commenting
or liking
status
updates and
photos
EXPRESSIVE BEHAVIOR
ON FACEBOOK

8. Posting or
tagging
photos
EXPRESSIVE BEHAVIOR
ON FACEBOOK

9. LET’S TAKE A QUICK
POLL!

10. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE
RESEARCH
 “Tell us what’s on your mind” taken too seriously
 Expand academic knowledge of Facebook
 Too much information shared online can be
annoying, & possibly dangerous
 Expressive behavior lacks explanation for why
people are posting their feelings, opinions, or
images

11. RELEVANT LITERATURE
 Facebook is a social networking site
 Facebook is also a business
 Facebook allows users to express themselves
 Users may experience less inhibition online
 Having information on a profile leaves users open
to considerable risk

12.  H1: In adults ages 18-
29, females are more
likely to report that
they are more
expressive in their
verbal messages/posts
and personal images on
Facebook compared to
males.
 H0: In adults ages 18-
29, there is no
relationship between
biological sex and the
likelihood to report
expressive behavior on
Facebook.
Research
Hypothesis
Null Hypothesis

13. RESEARCH DESIGN
 Participants voluntarily took the survey if:
 They were at least 18 years of age
 They had a Facebook account
 Survey link posted on personal Facebook profiles,
and The Moose
 Not limited to Aquinas Community
 Multiple choice, Likert-scale, & open ended
questions

14. SUBJECTS
 Males (N = 20)
 Females (N = 107)
 M = 27.2 years old
 Min – 18 years old
 Max – 68 years old
 Range – 50
Biological Sex Age

15. PILOT STUDY CHANGES
 How many Facebook friends do you have?
 Provided an interval range to select answer
 What is your primary reason for using Facebook?
 Check all that apply
 Do you avoid certain topics on Facebook because
you know it will cause jealousy or anger with your
Facebook friends?
 Anger

16. T-TEST RESULTS
 Biological sex by privacy importance on Facebook
 (t=2.97, df = 125, cv = 1.66, p>0.5)
 Significant
 Responses coded on a scale:
 1 (very unimportant)
 2 (somewhat unimportant)
 3 (not particularly important or unimportant)
 4 (somewhat important)
 5 (very important)
 Women (M=4.33)
 Men (M=3.60)

17. CHI-SQUARE TESTS
 Primary reason for using Facebook
 To maintain relationships
 To pass the time
 For entertainment
 To gain a sense of community
 No Relationship

18. CHI-SQUARE TESTS
 Biological sex by exaggeration of self on their
Facebook profile
 (x2=.03, df=1, cv=3.84, p>.05)
 No Relationship
 Biological sex by how they perceived exaggerated
information on their friend’s Facebook profiles
 (x2=.003, df=1, cv=3.84, p>.05)
 No Relationship

19. CHI-SQUARE TESTS
 Biological sex by envious feelings on Facebook
 (x2=.33, df=3, cv=7.82, p>.05)
 No Relationship
 Biological sex by arguments on Facebook
 (x2=.80, df=2, cv=5.99, p>.05)
 No Relationship
 Biological sex by topic avoidance on Facebook
 (x2=5.75, df=3, cv=7.82, p>.05)
 No Relationship

20.  H1: In adults ages 18-
29, females are more
likely to report that
they are more
expressive in their
verbal messages/posts
and personal images on
Facebook compared to
males.
 H0: In adults ages 18-
29, there is no
relationship between
biological sex and the
likelihood to report
expressive behavior on
Facebook.
Research
Hypothesis
Null Hypothesis

21. POST HOC
 Biological sex by number of friends on Facebook
 (x2=14.76, df=6, cv=12.59, p<0.5)
 Significant
 50% of the males (n=20) reported having 801-2,000+
Facebook friends
 16% of the females (n=107) reported this

22. POST HOC
 Correlations
 The amount an individual posted about themselves
on Facebook & the level of expressive behavior
 (r=.55, df=126, cv=.25, p<.005)
 Significant
 The amount an individual posted about themselves
on Facebook & the importance of a Facebook
relationship status
 (r=.322, df=126, cv=.25, p<.005)
 Significant

23. RELEVANCE OF RESULTS
 Women viewed their privacy on Facebook as either
somewhat important or very important compared to
men
 Biological sex does not determine the primary
reason individuals use Facebook
 Biological sex does not determine if a person
chooses to exaggerate information online
 Biological sex does not determine topic avoidance
or likelihood of arguments on Facebook

24. LIMITATIONS
 Subjects obtained via convenience sample
 Small number of males
 84% female and 16% male participants
 Large range of participants according to age
 Self-reported

25. FURTHER RESEARCH
 Continue academic research on Facebook
 Survey either:
 Females and Males 18-29 years old only
 OR
 Females only
 Compare biological sex with a different variable
 Politics or religions

26. QUESTIONS?
Tell us what’s on your mind!