Document Type

Thesis

Date of Degree Completion

Spring 2016

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Experimental Psychology

Committee Chair

Susan Lonborg

Second Committee Member

Terrence J. Schwartz

Third Committee Member

Ralf Greenwald

Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to investigate undergraduate students' patterns of use and perceived consequences of online gaming and Facebook. In Study 1, 38 male and 31 female participants completed measures examining online gaming usage, whereas Study 2 included 24 male and 75 female participants who were asked to complete measures examining Facebook usage. Study 1 results indicated online gaming participants identified time loss (78.3%) and playing longer than planned (91.3%) as common consequences of use. In contrast, Facebook users in Study 2 were less likely to report time loss (20.6%) but were more likely (91.8%) to visit the site longer than they had planned. Notably, they also reported a failure to use personal privacy settings (81.3%) as well as their willingness to allow individuals other than friends to access their Facebook pages (82.5%), despite that fact that 94.8% indicated they had lost an educational, job, or relationship opportunity because of information others had posted on the study participant's Facebook page.

Language

English

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