Social Sharing Design

This dissertation studies the effects of sharing mechanisms and content characteristics on social sharing processes. Social sharing describes any exchange of resources available in a social system (news, products, ideas, behaviors, etc.). The dissertation consists of four empirical studies, each addressing a different research question. The first empirical project focuses on the effects of user control over the sharing process, preservation of user’s privacy, and symbolic expressions of self-focus. The results from a laboratory experiment and two field studies reveal that content sharing is negatively affected by sharing mechanisms that allow greater control over the sharing process, aim to preserve the user’s privacy and express a self-focus. The second research project investigates how the sharing mechanisms which allow the non-disclosure of the users’ identity impact social sharing. The results show that content related to controversial topics are less likely to be shared on Facebook, whereas they are actively discussed on discussion boards. The third research project analyzes how the payment of incentives influences the social sharing. The results of three field experiments show that the payment of incentives increases the number of consumer reviews. Moreover, paid customers write less positive reviews and are less willing to make recommendations to their peers. The last study explores whether positive or negative content is shared with peers. The results show that the relationship between content’s positivity and its virality follows an inverted U-shape.