Neuroscience of social media

Question 1

What are the 5 key social media behaviours?

Answer 1

Compare, Observe, Broadcast, Provide feedback, Receive Feedback

Question 2

What type of cognitins do the 5 key social media behaviours rely on?

Answer 2

Social cognition, Self referential cognition, Social reward processing

Question 3

Why do humans use social media?

Answer 3

1. To connect 2. To manage their image

Question 4

What does the ventral striatum do in the brain?

Answer 4

It reflects on comparison between own obtained reward and another persons obtained reward during social media use. Instead of only looking at your own reward.

Question 5

How can neuroscientists capatalize on similarities between the online and offline world?

Answer 5

Using social media as a proxy measure for the real world social behaviour

Question 6

Which 5 types of online behaviour can be used as a proxy?

Answer 6

1 Broadcasts.
2 provide positive feedback
3 curiosity
4 personality traits
5 social network shape

Question 7

What are the differences between the real world and the social media world that scientists should be aware of? (4 awnsers)

Answer 7

1 no face to face contact
2 no taking turns speaking
3 interact from a distance
4 no expectations for a direct reply

Question 8

What network in the brain is used for self referential processing?

Answer 8

Neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that self-referential thought involves a network of
midline cortical regions, specifically the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) and PCC

Question 9

What network in the brain is activated receiving social rewards?

Answer 9

Social rewards activate a network of brain regions including the ventromedial prefrontal
cortex (VMPFC), ventral striatum, and ventral tegmental area

Question 10

Why should researchers endeavor to use these types of online behavior as a proxy for similar
offline behaviors? (4 awnsers)

Answer 10

1. Social media data provide externally valid measures of
   people’s real-world behavior
2. These data can be simpler to procure than offline social
   behaviors
3. These data are
   typically amassed over an extended period of time and, as a result, may be more stable than data
   collected in a single laboratory session, which can be highly variable
4. Social media behaviors can be used
   in conjunction with parallel real-world behaviors and, thus, serve as an independent source
   of convergent data for a behavior of interest.

Question 11

What are the limitations of social media data?

Answer 11

1. Not all people use social media only participants who are self selected users of social media can participate
2. Data is a subject to self presentation bias (being aware how you present yourself online)
3. Online behaviour does not always mirror offline behaviour. The parallel is not endless.