The development and psychometric testing of the expressive and instrumental Online Neighborhood Network Uses Scale (ONNUS)

Abstract

The current study presents an instrument to measure online neighborhood network (ONN) uses from a social capital perspective. Prior studies have provided tentative evidence that ONNs, developed on social media platforms, can be a means for residents to develop social capital. However, to investigate this claim, a quantitative measurement instrument tailored to group- instead of ego-centered networks, is necessary yet currently lacking. A multi-phase method was applied to develop and test the psychometric properties of our instrument. Drawing upon existing literature, we conceptualized two types of ONN uses: expressive and instrumental uses. Both constructs were subsequently operationalized in a series of research steps. The construct validity (both exploratory and confirmatory), criterion and theoretical validity, and internal consistency of the instrument were tested on a sample of ONN users (n = 668) in Flanders (Belgium). The findings showed that the designed instrument is valid and reliable for assessing ONN uses. As such, the means are provided for investigating the role of ONNs in neighborhood relationship and social capital development, discern between different types of ONN users, and to assess the quality of ONNs with respect to the neighborhood's social life from a policy perspective.

Online Neighborhood Networks: The Relationship Between Online Communication Practices and Neighborhood Dynamics

“…In line with this conceptualization, we thus considered three additional indicators. First, we considered neighborhood social support (De Meulenaere, Baccarne, et al, 2021b;Sherbourne & Stewart, 1991) as indicative of the strength of the relationships found within a neighborhood. Higher perceived social support implies stronger neighborhood relations.…”

Exploring the User Base of Online Neighborhood Networks: Determinants of Online Neighborhood Network Membership and Uses

“…Drawing on prior research on local social interaction and relations (Ball-Rokeach et al, 2001;Mollenhorst et al, 2009; and local digital media use (Hampton, 2007;Hampton and Wellman, 2003;Kavanaugh et al, 2005;Kim and Shin, 2016;Smith, 2010;Yamamoto, 2015) we will consider socio-demographic, socioeconomic, and social network variables as well as variables to pertaining media use. Specifically, age, gender, firstand second-generation migrant background, having children under 14 years old, educational attainment, income, time of residence, perceived social cohesion, perceived social disorder, perceived social support as well as online disinhibition and digital stress are investigated as potential individual level determinants of ONN membership and two types of uses, being expressive and instrumental ONN use (De Meulenaere et al, 2021). Expressive ONN use entails discussing local issues (Konsti-Laakso, 2017) and sharing information concerning the neighborhood (Bingham-Hall and Law, 2015;Bouko and Calabrese, 2017;Turner, 2015).…”