Social Motives for Using Social Networks: Analysis of User Groups

The article describes various social motives for using social networks (maintaining and developing relationships, belongness to a particular group, and self-presentation). The results of the study showed that users of social networks (n = 579) can be divided into four different profiles depending on the degree of their motivation to use social networks (1 — moderate orientation to belongness and self-presentation; 2 — orientation towards main¬taining social relations ; 3 — low social motivation; 4 — high social motivation). The comparison of users from different profiles by their personality traits and online behavior showed that users with high social motivation demonstrate the higher level of extraversion, agree¬ableness, and openness to experience compared with individuals from other profiles. Users from the “orientation towards maintaining social relations” profile do not differ from users with low social motivation in terms of the level of agreeableness and openness to experience, and users from the profile “moderate orientation to belongness and self-presentation” do not differ from users with high motivation regarding the level of neuroticism and openness to experience. In general, respondents from the profile with high social motivation demonstrate the most intensive use of social networks for all behavioral parameters. The smallest differences in behavior in the social networks are observed between respondents from the profiles “orientation towards maintaining social relations” and “low social motivation,’’ as well as “moderate orientation to belongness and self-presentation” and “high social motivation”.