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Facebook usage, intimacy attitude, and collectivist coping styles among university students in Hong Kong
Author(s)
Date Issued
2013
Publisher
Hong Kong: Hong Kong Shue Yan University
Description
Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.) -- Hong Kong Shue Yan University, 2013.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 51-67).
x, 93 p.
Type
Thesis
Programme
Master of Social Sciences in Counselling Psychology
Abstract
The online social networking sites, such as Facebook, have been changing the way people
interact and also bridge the online and offline connections, it is important to gain better
understanding of personal and social factors that relate to individuals’ behaviours on
Facebook. The aim of the present study was to examine university students’ Facebook usage
and its relationship to intimacy attitude and collectivistic coping styles among university
students in Hong Kong. A sample of 301 Chinese students recruited from local universities
completed a survey that included measures of the proposed variables. The results in this study showed that students who spent more time on Facebook and who were likely to make selfdisclosure about personal experience or feelings on Facebook had a higher need for intimate self-expression. The relationship between Avoidance and Detachment coping and the number of strangers connected within one’s network demonstrated that those who showed a tendency to develop online relationships might regard Facebook as a safe channel to make selfdisclosure that enabled them to avoid family shame. This suggested that shame-related beliefs and values in the Chinese culture may place young adults at an elevated risk of cyberstalking and cyberharassment. Overall, this study provided an implication that university students in Hong Kong engaged in Facebook for a number of purposes. Different types of online behaviours and the degree of intensity of Facebook usage may reflect different needs and gratification young adults obtain from this online social networking site. Suggestions for further research regarding young adults’ application of collectivistic coping styles, their experience and motives in forming online relationship are discussed. The need for psychoeducation about effective coping mechanisms in the Chinese context is also discussed.
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