Tandoc (Key Study) (psychological problems)

Question 1

What was the background?

Answer 1

Tandoc wanted to see if depression was a result of Facebook usage. This was because of the social rank theory of depression.

Question 2

What is the social rank theory of depression.

Answer 2

Where those who see themselves as unsuccessful feel subordinated (envious), which makes them more vulnerable to depression.

Question 3

What was the aim?

Answer 3

Tandoc aimed to see whether depression could be predicted by Facebook usage. They also aimed to see if using Facebook can lead to subordination, which can lead to depression.

Question 4

What were the hypotheses?

Answer 4

• Heavy Facebook users would report feeling higher levels of envy than light Facebook users
• Users with a large network of friends would report feeling higher levels of envy than those with a small network
• Those who report feeling higher levels of envy would also report more symptoms of depression than those who felt lower levels of envy.

Question 5

What was the design?

Answer 5

• Self report using an online survey
• Used quantitative data

Question 6

What was the sample?

Answer 6

• 736 chose to participate out of 854 invitations
• 500 female, 236 male
• Average age of 19
• from a large Midwestern university in the USA

Question 7

What were the materials?

Answer 7

• An online questionnaire where participants were asked to report their average hours per day they spent on facebook

-Rate using a 5 point scale (1=never, 5=very frequently) how often they use different parts of Facebook.

• Rate 8 statements that measure envy using a 5 point scale that showed how much they agree.
• Participants completed the center for epidemiology studies depression scale (CES-D)

Question 8

What was the procedure?

Answer 8

Participants completed and submitted the online survey

Question 9

What were the results?

Answer 9

• Results showed that heavy Facebook users did show stronger feelings of envy
• The size of the network of Facebook friends was not related to envy
• Facebook envy was a significant positive predictor of depression among college students
• Facebook surveillance is not a predictor of depression
• Surveillance does have an indirect effect on depression as it can lead to envy which can lead to depression

Question 10

What is ‘surveillance’?

Answer 10

Viewing posts but not posting yourself

Question 11

What is ‘Facebook envy’?

Answer 11

Being jealous of the lives of people on Facebook

Question 12

What were the conclusions?

Answer 12

• The use of Facebook doesn’t directly lead to depression
• Facebook envy can lead to depression
• Surveillance on Facebook can lessen feelings of depression if it doesn’t lead to envy
• Social rank theory offers a useful basis on which to understand how depression can occur in college aged students

Question 13

What were the criticisms?

Answer 13

• The study was culturally biased as the sample was only based on students from one university in the USA
• The study had age bias as the sample only consisted of college age students
• Participants’ answers may have been affected by social desirability bias
• Lacks construct validity as there was closed questions that were converted into a numerical score