Loveday Newman1, Charlotte Stoner1, Anne Corbett2, Maria Megalogeni3, Zunera Khan3, Aimee Spector1. 1. Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London. 2. Institute of Health Research, University of Exeter Medical School, St Luke's Campus, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK. 3. Department of Old Age Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Denmark Hill Campus, King's College London, London.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Social Networking Sites (SNSs) may ameliorate loneliness in later life but no measure of SNS use for this population exists. This study describes the development of the 'SNS Older Adults measure' (SNS-OA), to improve understanding of older adults' SNS use and its relationship to social wellbeing. METHODS: The SNS-OA underwent initial development, including literature reviews and consultation with target population (n = 9) and experts (n = 9); piloting (n = 74), and evaluation of psychometric properties (n = 263). RESULTS: The final measure comprised three 'motive' scales (using SNSs to maintain close ties, maintain and strengthen weaker ties and diversion), and two 'affect' scales (positive/negative). Whilst many items were weakly endorsed by participants, the measure demonstrated good reliability (Cronbach α = 0.85; ICC = 0.82) and some convergent validity, with some subscales correlating with a personality measure in hypothesised directions. No statistically significant correlations were observed between the measure and social wellbeing. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the measure's limitations, this research has enabled a better understanding of SNS use in older adults and has important implications for research in this area. Findings also suggest a complex relationship between social wellbeing and SNS use in later life.
OBJECTIVES: Social Networking Sites (SNSs) may ameliorate loneliness in later life but no measure of SNS use for this population exists. This study describes the development of the 'SNS Older Adults measure' (SNS-OA), to improve understanding of older adults' SNS use and its relationship to social wellbeing. METHODS: The SNS-OA underwent initial development, including literature reviews and consultation with target population (n = 9) and experts (n = 9); piloting (n = 74), and evaluation of psychometric properties (n = 263). RESULTS: The final measure comprised three 'motive' scales (using SNSs to maintain close ties, maintain and strengthen weaker ties and diversion), and two 'affect' scales (positive/negative). Whilst many items were weakly endorsed by participants, the measure demonstrated good reliability (Cronbach α = 0.85; ICC = 0.82) and some convergent validity, with some subscales correlating with a personality measure in hypothesised directions. No statistically significant correlations were observed between the measure and social wellbeing. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the measure's limitations, this research has enabled a better understanding of SNS use in older adults and has important implications for research in this area. Findings also suggest a complex relationship between social wellbeing and SNS use in later life.
Entities:
Keywords:
Social networking sites; loneliness; measure development; social wellbeing; technology
Authors: Marta Kowal; Piotr Sorokowski; Agnieszka Sorokowska; Małgorzata Dobrowolska; Katarzyna Pisanski; Anna Oleszkiewicz; Toivo Aavik; Grace Akello; Charlotte Alm; Naumana Amjad; Afifa Anjum; Kelly Asao; Chiemezie S Atama; Derya Atamtürk Duyar; Richard Ayebare; Mons Bendixen; Aicha Bensafia; Boris Bizumic; Mahmoud Boussena; David M Buss; Marina Butovskaya; Seda Can; Katarzyna Cantarero; Antonin Carrier; Hakan Cetinkaya; Daniel Conroy-Beam; Marco A C Varella; Rosa M Cueto; Marcin Czub; Daria Dronova; Seda Dural; Izzet Duyar; Berna Ertugrul; Agustín Espinosa; Ignacio Estevan; Carla S Esteves; Tomasz Frackowiak; Jorge Contreras-Graduño; Farida Guemaz; Ivana Hromatko; Chin-Ming Hui; Iskra Herak; Jas L Jaafar; Feng Jiang; Konstantinos Kafetsios; Tina Kavcic; Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair; Nicolas Kervyn; Nils C Köbis; András Láng; Georgina R Lennard; Ernesto León; Torun Lindholm; Giulia Lopez; Mohammad Madallh Alhabahba; Alvaro Mailhos; Zoi Manesi; Rocío Martínez; Sarah L McKerchar; Norbert Meskó; Girishwar Misra; Hoang Moc Lan; Conal Monaghan; Emanuel C Mora; Alba Moya Garófano; Bojan Musil; Jean C Natividade; George Nizharadze; Elisabeth Oberzaucher; Mohd S Omar Fauzee; Ike E Onyishi; Baris Özener; Ariela F Pagani; Vilmante Pakalniskiene; Miriam Parise; Farid Pazhoohi; Mariia Perun; Annette Pisanski; Nejc Plohl; Camelia Popa; Pavol Prokop; Muhammad Rizwan; Mario Sainz; Svjetlana Salkičević; Ruta Sargautyte; Susanne Schmehl; Oksana Senyk; Rizwana Shaikh; Shivantika Sharad; Franco Simonetti; Meri Tadinac; Truong Thi Khanh Ha; Trinh Thi Linh; Karina Ugalde González; Nguyen Van Luot; Christin-Melanie Vauclair; Luis D Vega; Gyesook Yoo; Stanislava Yordanova Stoyanova; Zainab F Zadeh; Maja Zupančič Journal: Front Psychol Date: 2020-04-30