Crowded Conversations
The Impact of Diverse Audiences on Belongingness, Distinctiveness, and Authenticity
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 17811428 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Anjelica Martinez (0000-0001-7645-4437, University of Houston, corresponding author), Meghan A Crabtree (0000-0002-1898-2263, Colorado State University), David R Pillow (0000-0001-6820-4163, The University of Texas at San Antonio) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 38 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 188-200 |
| Publication date | 2025-04-09 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Media Psychology Theories Methods and Applications (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1864-1105 • E-ISSN: 2151-2388 |
| Publisher | Hogrefe Verlag (PUBLISHER • DE) |
| DOI | 10.1027/1864-1105/a000468 |
| OpenAlex | W4409293825 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 41 |
Interpersonal communication has dramatically evolved from real-life to online interactions through social media networks. With this structure comes questions regarding how the online format and the large, varied audiences of generated content influence self-presentation and identity need satisfaction. This study examines the relationship between audience variability and sense of authenticity when online and assesses the mediational roles of belongingness and distinctiveness. Participants ( N = 545) were prescribed eight identities and answered questions regarding each identity and identity-related perceived variability in their social network audiences on platforms that included Facebook, Instagram, and X. Using multilevel modeling that focused on within-person, identity-level relations, audience diversity was found to relate positively to distinctiveness and negatively to belongingness. In turn, belongingness and distinctiveness were positively associated with online authenticity, confirming the hypothesized mediational paths. This relation was not found between-persons. Supplemental analyses indicated that X-users report the highest levels of distinctiveness and belongingness. The study has implications for understanding how individuals negotiate multiple identities across various platforms
Aesthetics · Art · Belongingness · Media studies · Optimal distinctiveness theory · Sociology · Communication in Education and Healthcare · Media Influence and Health · Psychology · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Psychology
A Multicomponent Conceptualization of Authenticity
Self-disclosure and social media
How to measure diversity when you must.
Platforms, People, and Perception
The Conceptualization and Measurement of Diversity
Psychological need‐satisfaction and subjective well‐being within social groups
The uses and abuses of Facebook
A general multilevel SEM framework for assessing multilevel mediation.
Measurement of Diversity
A closer look at appearance and social media
Deciding What’s News
An exploratory analysis of the relationship of problematic Facebook use with loneliness and self-esteem
Similarity between perceived selves on social media and offline and its relationship with psychological well-being in early and late adulthood
Influence of Social Media Use on Discussion Network Heterogeneity and Civic Engagement
The Search for Uniqueness and Valuation of Scarcity
Optimal Distinctiveness Theory
Uses and gratifications of social networking sites for bridging and bonding social capital
Authenticity and well-being on social network sites
Social Identity, Distinctiveness, and In-Group Homogeneity
The Social Self
Influencing emotion
Media audience homophily
Euro Crisis and plurality
Beyond self-esteem
I tweet honestly, I tweet passionately
The need to belong
Shape Shifting Across Social Media
Imagined Audiences, Emotions, and Feedback Expectations in Social Media Photo Sharing
Opinion Climates in Social Media
| Highly cited | No |
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