Social Media Social Comparison, Introspection, and Identity Distress at the College Transition: A Dual-Path Model

• In Event: 3-155 - Social Media Use and Adolescent Adjustment: Considering Quality Over Quantity

Integrative Statement

The developmental task of identity construction intensifies during the college transition (Stephenson-Abetz & Holman, 2012; Thomas et al., 2017). Identity distress, severe subjective distress resulting from inability to fashion a coherent sense of self (American Psychiatric Association, 1980), may thus be particularly salient at this transition. Ever present in the developmental context for today’s college youth, social media can serve as tools for identity construction (Manago, Graham, Greenfield, & Salimkhan, 2008), yet they may also provoke identity distress. Specifically, social media provide opportunities for two types of social comparison (Festinger, 1954): competition-based ability comparison and information-based opinion comparison. The two may have differential identity implications depending on the introspection induced. Trapnell and Campbell (1999) distinguish between the maladaptive, neurotic introspection of rumination and the adaptive, self-curious introspection of reflection. To explore the identity implications of social media social comparison (SMSC), this study examined a dual-path model, in which SMSC of ability (SMSC-Ability) was hypothesized to relate to rumination and subsequently higher identity distress, and SMSC of opinion (SMSC-Opinion) to reflection and lower identity distress.

During the fall (T1), 219 freshmen from a U.S. university (Mage=18.29, S.D.=.75; 74% female; 41% White) completed an online survey including items from the Social Media Social Comparison Scale (Yang, Holden, & Carter, 2018; Ability subscale: 5 items, α=.84; Opinion subscale: 4 items, α=.87), the Rumination-Reflection Questionnaire (Trapnell & Campbell, 1999; Rumination subscale: 6 items, α=.88; Reflection subscale: 6 items, α=.82), and the Identity Distress Survey (IDS; Berman, Montgomery, & Kurtines, 2004; 3 items, αT1=.79). A follow-up measuring identity distress (αT2=.79) was completed the next semester (T2) by 136 of the participants. Attrition appeared unrelated to age, gender, and race/ethnicity (ps>.05). Little’s (1988) test indicated data were missing completely at random: χ2 (8)=10.47, p=.23.

We tested the hypothesized model by regressing T2 identity distress on T1 rumination and reflection, which were regressed on T1 SMSC-Ability and SMSC-Opinion respectively, controlling for effects of gender, race/ethnicity, and time spent using communication technologies on T2 identity distress (Cyr, Berman, & Smith, 2015). We also controlled for the gender effects on rumination and reflection (Luyckx et al., 2007; Nolen-Hoeksema et al., 2008), and included T1 identity distress as a control variable for the two T1 mediators and T2 identity distress. The model fit well: χ2 (8)=5.40, p=.71; RMSEA=.000, 90% CI [.000-.060]; CFI=1.00; TLI =1.05. T1 SMSC-Ability was associated with T1 rumination, which predicted higher identity distress at T2. In contrast, T1 SMSC-Opinion was associated with T1 reflection but did not predict lower distress at T2 (Table 1, Figure 1).

At the theoretical level, the findings clarified there were maladaptive and benign/adaptive paths from social media social comparison to identity distress, suggesting that whether social comparison should be considered detrimental depends on which types of comparison and self-attentiveness are involved (also see Park & Baek, 2018). At the practical level, professionals working with university freshmen can encourage them to use social media to learn about others’ opinions to illuminate their own thinking, and refrain from evaluative judgement comparing abilities with peers.

Authors

• Chia-Chen Yang, University of Memphis
  Presenting Author

• Jessica J Webb, The University of Memphis
  Non-Presenting Author

• Sean M Holden, The University of Memphis
  Non-Presenting Author

• Mollie D. K. Carter, The University of Memphis
  Non-Presenting Author