Deck 4

Psyc212

What is Social Media?

Mass communication platforms that allow user generated content, interaction, and virtual communities.

What are the key features of social media?

User-generated content, interactivity, and virtual communities.

How many people use social media globally?

About 5.07 billion people (around 62.9% of the world population).

What is the average daily time spent on social media?

About 2 hours and 20 minutes per day.

Which social media platform has the most users?

YouTube (around 2.53 billion users).

Which social media platform has the highest time use?

TikTok (about 35 hours per month).

What is social interaction in social media?

Behavioural engagement such as liking, commenting, and sharing.

What is social connection in social media?

Psychological sense of belonging or relatedness to others.

Does social media always improve wellbeing?

No, effects depend on how it is used.

What is passive social media use?

Consuming content without interacting (e.g., scrolling).

What is active social media use?

Engaging with others through posting, commenting, or messaging.

What did Vogel et al. (2014) study investigate?

The relationship between Facebook use, social comparison, and self-esteem.

What was found in Vogel et al. (2014)?

Higher Facebook use was linked to more social comparison and lower self-esteem.

What did Vogel et al. (2014) experiment show?

People compare themselves to attractive social media profiles, affecting self-evaluation

What did Jing et al. (2025) meta-analysis find?

High social media use is linked to higher anxiety, depression, and loneliness.

What is the general mental health effect of high social media use?

It is associated with lower self-esteem and poorer mental health outcomes

What did Hunt et al. (2018) study test?

Effects of limiting social media use on wellbeing.

What was the result of Hunt et al. (2018)?

Reducing social media use improved wellbeing.

What did Burke & Kraut (2016) find?

Communication with close friends improves wellbeing, but weak ties do not.

What is the key finding about social ties on social media?

Strong ties improve wellbeing more than weak ties.

What did Verduyn et al. (2015) study examine?

Differences between passive and active Facebook use.

What was found in Verduyn et al. (2015)?

Passive use reduces wellbeing more than active use.

Why does passive social media use reduce wellbeing?

It increases social comparison and envy.

Why does active use improve wellbeing?

It increases social connection and interaction.

What is the “somewhat positive, somewhat negative” effect of social media?

Social media can harm wellbeing but also improve it depending on usage type.

Why might adolescents be particularly affected by social media?

Because of identity development and vulnerability to peer comparison.

What psychological bias is common in social media interpretation?

Fundamental attribution error.

What is the halo effect in social media?

Positive impressions in one area influence overall judgments of a person.

What is confirmation bias in social media?

Seeking information that supports existing beliefs.

What is availability heuristic in social media?

Overestimating likelihood of events seen frequently online.

What is self-serving bias in social media contexts?

Attributing success internally and failure externally.

What is actor-observer bias?

Explaining own behaviour situationally but others’ behaviour dispositionally.

What is social comparison theory?

The tendency to evaluate oneself by comparing to others.

How does social media increase social comparison?

By providing constant exposure to curated images of others.

What was Vogel et al. (2014) Study 2 method?

Participants judged themselves compared to a social media profile.

What was the result of social comparison in Study 2?

Participants rated themselves more negatively after comparison.

What was the design of Hunt et al. (2018)?

Participants were assigned to limit or maintain social media use.

What is the key takeaway from Hunt et al. (2018)?

Reducing use can improve wellbeing.

What did Burke & Kraut (2016) measure?

Facebook use and wellbeing over time.

What is the importance of strong ties online?

They are associated with increased wellbeing.

What is the limitation of weak ties online?

They do not significantly improve wellbeing.

What is active Facebook use?

Direct interaction such as messaging and commenting.

What is passive Facebook use?

Browsing without interaction.

What is the main mechanism linking passive use to negative outcomes?

Social comparison and envy.

What is Verduyn et al. (2015) main conclusion?

Passive use decreases wellbeing, active use increases it.

What is the psychological impact of upward social comparison?

Decreased self-esteem and increased dissatisfaction.

What is the psychological impact of downward comparison?

Can temporarily increase self-esteem

What is the overall effect of social media on wellbeing?

Mixed, depending on usage style and social context.

What is the role of algorithms in social media effects?

They reinforce engagement and exposure to comparison content.

What is the hedonic principle?

People approach pleasure and avoid pain.

How does affect influence decision making?

People choose actions that feel good and avoid those that feel bad.

What is affective forecasting?

Predicting how one will feel in the future.

What is affective memory?

Recalling how one felt in past experiences.

How do affective processes influence exercise behaviour?

Feeling good during exercise increases likelihood of repeating it.

What is the intention–behaviour gap?

The mismatch between intending to act and actually doing the behaviour.

What percentage of intenders follow through on behaviour?

About 54%.

What is proximal motivation?

Motivation based on immediate outcomes.

What is distal motivation?

Motivation based on long-term outcomes

Why is proximal motivation stronger?

Immediate rewards are more influential than delayed rewards.

What is temporal discounting?

The tendency to value immediate rewards more than future rewards.

How does temporal discounting affect exercise?

People choose immediate comfort over long-term health benefits.

What is self-determination theory?

people are most motivated, engaged, and psychologically healthy when three basic psychological needs are satisfied. The three basic needs: Autonomy, Competence, Relatedness

What is autonomous motivation?

Behaviour driven by internal values and enjoyment.

What is controlled motivation?

Behaviour driven by external pressure or guilt.

Which type of motivation supports long-term exercise adherence?

Autonomous motivation.

Which type of motivation is linked to poorer wellbeing?

Controlled motivation.

What are the three basic psychological needs in SDT?

Autonomy, relatedness, and competence.

What is autonomy?

Feeling in control of one’s behaviour.

What is relatedness?

Feeling socially connected to others.

What is competence?

Feeling capable and effective.

What is habit (Gardner et al., 2024)?

Behaviour automatically triggered by contextual cues through learned associations.

What triggers habits?

Contextual cues linked to past behaviour.

Do habits require conscious decision-making?

No, they can occur automatically.

What is habit strength?

The degree to which behaviour is automatic in response to cues.

What strengthens habit formation?

Repetition in stable contexts.

How does habit affect exercise?

It can reduce reliance on motivation and willpower.

What is an implementation intention?

A specific plan linking a situation to a behaviour (“If X, then I will do Y”).

How do implementation intentions help behaviour change?

They automate responses to cues.

What is barrier planning?

Planning how to overcome obstacles to behaviour.

What is an example of an implementation intention for exercise?

“If work ends, then I will go to the gym.”

What is the role of affect in exercise adherence?

Positive feelings during exercise increase future participation.

What is the “feelings as-information” principle?

People use current emotions to guide decisions.

What is the intention–behaviour gap problem in exercise?

People intend to exercise but fail to act due to competing temptations.

What is a common competing temptation in exercise decisions?

Social activities (e.g., going for drinks instead of gym).

What is the main psychological solution to exercise adherence?

Increase autonomy, positive affect, and habit formation.

What is the role of identity in behaviour change?

People are more likely to act consistently with their self-concept

What is social identity in exercise behaviour?

Feeling part of a group that values physical activity.

What is collective identity in behaviour?

Shared sense of belonging that motivates action.

What is the main takeaway from exercise psychology?

Behaviour is shaped by affect, identity, habits, and motivation, not just intention.