Psychological sense of community within mediated communities: the case of the news blog

Abstract

Researchers agree that communities are a valuable source of positive outcomes for individuals and society, however much debate revolves around the question: what is a community? Community psychology research offers the suggestion that a psychological sense of community (PSOC) among individual members of a group is at the heart of any community. The current study builds upon the McMillan and Chavis (1986) PSOC model, applying their theory and Peterson and colleagues’ (2008) measure to the highly anonymous, mediated environment of news blogs. In addition, this research examines several individual-level variables that are hypothesized to be related to PSOC online in an attempt to better understand community functioning and formation. An analysis of ninety-three members of three major news blogs revealed that PSOC does form online, although at moderate levels. A regression analysis revealed that individuals’ level of identification with the blog, their history reading the blog, and trust in members of the blog were all significantly and positively related to PSOC. In addition, the motivations for using the blog of personal fulfillment, information seeking/media checking, and expression/affiliation were significantly and positively related to PSOC. This research suggests that understanding the variability in PSOC, as explained by these individuallevel characteristics, has significant implications for the journalism industry and society as a whole.