Relationships among attachment theory, social capital perspective, personality characteristics, and Facebook self-disclosure

Abstract

Purpose – Due to the growth of Facebook use, the question arises regarding which factors may influence individuals’ self-disclosure while using the site. The purpose of this paper is to examine: first, to what extent does attachment theory explain users’ self-disclosure on Facebook; second, to what extent does the social capital paradigm explain users’ self-disclosure on Facebook; third, to what extent do personality characteristics explain users’ self-disclosure on Facebook; and fourth, to what extent do demographic details explain users’ self-disclosure on Facebook. Design/methodology/approach – Research was conducted in Israel and included 183 library and information science students. Participants were asked to complete the following questionnaires: personal details, Facebook use, importance of Facebook use, demographic disclosure, picture disclosure, disclosure, social capital, attachment, and personality. Findings – The current study extends research about Facebook self-disclosure and confirms that attachment theory, as well as social capital, personality traits, and age significantly predict Facebook self-disclosure. Originality/value – We should bear in mind that there are certain people who may benefit from disclosing information on Facebook, while there are others who may be at risk, because they reveal more personal information than they intended and the line between the two is fuzzy. Individuals should bear in mind that if they disclose too much information, they might become easy targets for abuse, internet predators, sexual solicitation, sexting, cyberbullying, and online harassment.