journal of digital research & publishing - The Sydney eScholarship ...

1 P M J O U R N A L O F D I G I T A L R ESEARCH & P UBLISHING
Joyce and Kraut (2006) present an argument for the reinforcement model, which
‘predicts that people repeat actions that lead to positive reinforcements’ (p.725). Similarly,
Bowman and Willis (2003) contend that people produce content to inform or entertain
other users, while Shao (2009) suggests they wish to trigger responses or interaction. This
paper asserts that these models can only explain, not predict, behaviour.
Intentions
Self­expression is a process that allows users to control the impressions they give
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Given the content of UGM sites such as Facebook, it is safe to suggest that users are seeking
a reaction or acceptance from the community in which they choose to create their identity.
While it can be assumed that there is intention behind the action, the actual intention
cannot be assumed from the content generated by the user. It can be proposed that the user
anticipates the outcomes that will result from their action or they would not have acted in
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intention behind the action, is known only to them.
Conclusion
The philosophical argument is not new. Applied to social identity­creation and self­
disclosure, however, it highlights some interesting points. It does not make assumptions
of the user or seek to decipher their behaviour or intentions. It proposes instead that users
intentionally act and that there is choice and strategy behind their actions.
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interpreted by others and it is the resultant idea that forms the basis for their conclusions.
Users choose to engage in identity­creation and self­disclosure because of the outcomes
foreseen. The philosophical argument puts the onus of action back on the user through
attributing them choice rather than attributing action to whim. Where the U&G model
implies that any user­generated content is fair game for psychological assessment, the
philosophical perspective provides a way to evaluate user online behaviour as deliberate
in search of outcomes.
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