Understanding User Behavior at Social Networking Sites: A Relational Capital Perspective

Social networking sites have successfully grown to be an international cyber phenomenon. In this study, the authors examine member engagements on social networking sites. Engagements such as site use and self-disclosure lead to the growth of social relationships, increased site traffic, customized services, and an accumulation of user generated contents; hence they are imperative to the long-term success of networking sites. Drawing upon Social Capital Theory (SCT), we developed a succinct research model that examines the role of relational capitals in predicting member behavior. This model also investigates the relationship between site use and self-disclosure behavior. The research model was validated through survey data collected from 222 social networking site users in the U.S. and the analysis results provided mixed support to the hypothesized relationships. The current study generates new knowledge on the literature of social networking sites and SCT; it also sheds light on site management for networking service providers. We also discuss how our findings are expected to shed light on other user populations.