Adolescent Development as an Explanation for and Predictor of Self-Disclosure on Facebook

• In Event: Finding Myself, for Better or Worse: Adolescents and Media

Abstract

The goal of the present study was to investigate whether adolescent online self-disclosure is primarily related to the developmental variable of egocentrism or influenced by the personality trait, narcissism. Egocentrism was measured as Imaginary Audience ideation and Personal Fable ideation, two distinct concepts of adolescent egocentrism. We also examined whether age moderates the aforementioned relationship. A total of 381 participants completed the survey instrument. The sample consisted of adolescents from two high schools and college students in the Netherlands. Results indicated a positive relationship between Imaginary Audience ideation and Facebook self-disclosure. Also, more narcissistic adolescents disclosed more on Facebook than less narcissistic adolescents. However, this effect became weaker when controlling for Imaginary Audience ideation. Finally, Imaginary Audience was related to Facebook self-disclosure for all age groups except 19-22. Thus, adolescent egocentrism is a somewhat stronger a predictor of online self-disclosure than narcissism.

Authors

• Amanda van der Meer, VU U Amsterdam

• Marina Krcmar, Wake Forest U

• Drew Cingel, Northwestern University