IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/zbw/itsp17/168548.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Facebook Use and Public Participation in Science: A Comparison Between the General Public and Users of a Science Facebook Fan Page

Author

Listed:
  • Wu, Cheng-Ying
  • Shih, Tsung-Jen

Abstract

Investigating the role of SNSs in engaging the public in scientific affairs is necessary in the modern society where risk and scientific innovations bear a high level of uncertainty. This study employs the O-S-O-R model in its attempt to examine the impact of SNSs on civic activism and the potential mediating role of self-efficacy and scientific knowledge. It is noteworthy that this study utilizes data collected from two different populations –the general public and the users of the Facebook fan page “Pansci.com,” the biggest scientific online group in Taiwan. Based on a total sample size of 1,960, we found that Facebook use increases knowledge only for “Pansci.com” users. Moreover, Facebook use is positively related to self-efficacy and public participation in both samples. However, its effect on self-efficacy is stronger for “Pansci.com” users. Quite differently, the effect of self-efficacy on participation is stronger for the general public. Lastly, self-efficacy, but not knowledge, serves as a significant mediator between Facebook use and public participation in both samples. Implications of these findings will be discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Wu, Cheng-Ying & Shih, Tsung-Jen, 2017. "Facebook Use and Public Participation in Science: A Comparison Between the General Public and Users of a Science Facebook Fan Page," 14th ITS Asia-Pacific Regional Conference, Kyoto 2017: Mapping ICT into Transformation for the Next Information Society 168548, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:itsp17:168548
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/168548/1/Wu-Shih.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:zbw:itsp17:168548. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.itsworld.org/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.