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Pavica Sheldon

St Jude Childrens research Hospital, Alsac, Senior Research Manager

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Papers by Pavica Sheldon

Social media: principles and applications

Choice Reviews Online, 2015

Social Support Expectations of Managers and Employees from Croatia, Thailand, and the United States Amid COVID-19: An Organizational Support Theory Perspective

Southern Communication Journal, 2023

Social support can help buffer against stressors and build employees' resilience. However, worker... more Social support can help buffer against stressors and build employees' resilience. However, workers of different cultures may vary in their expectation of support. Drawing on organizational support theory (OST), this qualitative study explored the types of support managers and employees (n = 668) from Croatia, Thailand, and the United States expected from each other amid COVID-19. A cluster analysis showed US workers expected more understanding and transparent communication from their supervisors while Thai workers desired stronger leadership and more protective gear. US supervisors expected employees to proactively ask for help while Thai supervisors encouraged their employees to adapt to change. Both Croatian supervisors and employees expected each other to maintain business as usual. Overall, the results resonate with previous OST research that expectations of support vary by cultures and highlight how leaders across countries can enhance the efficacy of social support and promote both supervisors' and subordinates' well-being during future crises.

Development, psychometric validation, and cross-cultural comparison of the "Instagram Motives Questionnaire" (IMQ) and the "Instagram Uses and Patterns Questionnaire" (IUPQ

by Pavica Sheldon, Dominica Díez, and José Espejo

Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 2023

Background and aims: Social network use is widespread, and the study of Instagram seems to have c... more Background and aims: Social network use is widespread, and the study of Instagram seems to have captured more attention in recent years. However, scale development and validation in the field has fallen short of providing sound scales of Instagram motives and usage patterns that consider the uniqueness of Instagram-related behavior. This paper describes the development, psychometric and cross-cultural validation of two new measurement instruments: the "Instagram Motives Questionnaire" (IMQ) and the "Instagram Uses and Patterns Questionnaire" (IUPQ). Methods and results: A preliminary set of items was developed for each questionnaire based on a previous qualitative interview study on Instagram motives, uses, and consequences. In the first study, the questionnaires were distributed to a sample of 312 participants aged 18-35 years (M 5 23.81; SD 5 4.49), and an exploratory factor analysis was performed. A parsimonious and interpretable 6-factor solution that

Understanding the Relationship between Communication Competence and Social Media Use

Southern Communication Journal, 2022

In the last couple of years, a high number of employers started raising concerns about the lack o... more In the last couple of years, a high number of employers started raising
concerns about the lack of soft skills in recent college graduates. Many
have pointed to social media as hurting our face-to-face communication.
Following these concerns, the purpose of our study was to examine the
relationship between communication competence and social media use.
One hundred and eighty-nine adults, ages 18 to 73, completed a survey
rating their social media use and self-perceived communication competence.
We measured communication competence using McCroskey and McCroskey
scale, which measures communication competence in a variety of settings.
The results showed that Instagram and Facebook were used for social
compensation purposes, especially among participants who perceive themselves
to have low communication competence skills. Generation-wise, older
individuals were more competent when communicating in a variety of
settings.

Media and interpersonal channels uses and preferences during the COVID-19 pandemic: the case of the United States, Thailand, and Croatia

Heliyon, 2021

According to media systems dependency theory, increased dependence on media to meet individual ne... more According to media systems dependency theory, increased dependence on media to meet individual needs is directly proportional to greater perceived media importance in one's life and subsequently stronger media effects on one's attitudes and behavior. This dependency relationship intensifies during times of uncertainty or crisis. Although several recent studies have focused on media dependence during health crises such as SARS and H1N1 influenza, insights from eastern countries may not be validated in other hemisphere. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to adopt a cross-cultural lens to examine how participants from three different continents used media during the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, 860 adults completed a survey during April and May 2020. Participants were asked to provide demographic and socioeconomic details, followed by questions measuring their media consumption, channel preferences, motivations, and perception of their well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results revealed that national culture had a strong influence on media use and preferences during the COVID-19 crisis. For example, the US participants spent the most time using the media but scored the lowest on well-being. This aligns with the claim that in individualistic countries people rely on media more than on their social network. US participants also used the media for surveillance goals more than their Thai or Croatian counterparts. Another cultural difference was that Thai participants reported using the media to relax more than other nationalities, which reflects the Thai's "way of life" and can explain their higher score on well-being. Finally, there were cultural differences in the use of social media. While Croatian and Thai participants' use of social media reflected collectivistic tendencies (using social media for social interaction), among Americans, social media use reflects individualistic trends (using social media for surveillance). The study discusses limitations and suggestions for future research.

Baby Boomers' use of Facebook and Instagram: uses and gratifications theory and contextual age indicators

by Pavica Sheldon and Lynn Johnson Ware

Heliyon, 2021

Social media research tends to prioritize how young adults – and college students, in particular ... more Social media research tends to prioritize how young adults – and college students, in particular – use social network sites. While several studies have focused on how Facebook can help alleviate loneliness among older adults, the motives for using other social media platforms, including Instagram, have not been adequately explored. This study therefore focuses on how a uses and gratifications framework applies to older users of Facebook and Instagram, including the relationship to contextual age. A survey of 414 Baby Boomers and Traditionalists was conducted in the Fall of 2019. The results revealed that older adults rely on Facebook and Instagram to compensate for the lack of social activity and face-to-face interactions in their daily lives. These patterns are consistent with social compensation hypothesis and contradict the findings of studies done with college students. In addition, the older adults' life satisfaction was a negative predictor of using these sites for
companionship and diversion. Future research should furthermore explore how other personality traits and social situations might influence older individuals use of social media. This knowledge can be particularly useful in times of health pandemic, such as COVID-19, when so many older individuals are confined to their homes and rely on social media for interaction and entertainment. Insight into intergenerational social media usage differences can also benefit advertisers, policy makers, recreational groups, healthcare and social services.

Predictors of Problematic Social Media Use: Personality and Life-Position Indicators

by Pavica Sheldon and Mary Grace Antony

Psychological Reports, 2020

Given the preponderance of social media in our increasingly saturated media environments, there i... more Given the preponderance of social media in our increasingly saturated media environments,
there is a need for greater understanding of how personality traits and
states can influence problematic social media use. This study examines whether
contextual age indicators (life satisfaction, interpersonal interaction, social activity),
the fear of missing out, and the Big Five personality traits are significant predictors of
Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat addictions. A survey of 337 college students
reveals that greater social activity is a positive predictor of addiction to Snapchat.
Another significant finding is a positive relationship between social media addiction
and the fear of missing out, which explained the most variance in addiction scores for
Snapchat (16%). An inductive analysis of open-ended responses indicated strong
similarities between those who claimed that they were addicted to these social
media apps and those said that they were not addicted. Both groups described
largely similar usage patterns and media dependency, yet several users did notself-identify as addicted to social media. These patterns indicate that more research
is needed to determine how social media users differentiate between normative,
heavy, and addicted usage.

Instagram and American Teens: Understanding Motives for Its Use and Relationship to Excessive Reassurance-Seeking and Interpersonal Rejection

The Journal of Social Media in Society, 2019

Drawing from the uses and gratifications theory, this study explored how excessive reassurance-se... more Drawing from the uses and gratifications theory, this study explored how excessive reassurance-seeking (the tendency to repeatedly request reassurance from close others about one's lovability and worth) and interpersonal rejection relate to Instagram use among minors. Participating were pre-teens and teens, ages 12 to 17 years. Results from structural equation modeling analysis revealed that teens who were driven by gratifications of self-promotion and creativity were more likely to suffer from excessive reassurance-seeking. Excessive reassurance-seeking also predicted the number of hours they spent on Instagram. In addition, those who experienced interpersonal rejection were more likely to use Instagram to escape from reality.

Culture and social media: the relationship between cultural values and hashtagging styles Culture and social media: the relationship between cultural values and hashtagging styles

Behaviour & Information Technology, 2019

Many social media users include #-signs before particular terms on social media-which is termed h... more Many social media users include #-signs before particular terms on social media-which is termed hashtagging. Recent research indicates that people tend to use the pound key for uncommon words, including 'artistic' words that are unlikely to serve functional purposes, and that cultural differences in hashtagging styles exist. The current study examines characteristics of hashtags and the impact of individual cultural values on hashtagging behaviour. Findings reveal four dimensions of hashtags, concluding that hashtags can be inspirational, structural, entertaining, and artistic. Second, findings show that hashtags are used to structure content equally independent of cultural values. However, inspirational hashtags are common among users with collectivistic, uncertainty avoidant, and masculine cultural values. Moreover, collectivistic and masculine values are also associated with artistic hashtags-whereas uncertainty avoidance is related to entertaining hashtags. In addition, findings show that cultural values associated with power distance relate to a higher hashtagging intensity. ARTICLE HISTORY

What Motivates Users to Hashtag on Social Media

Psychology & Marketing, 2019

Hashtags (i.e., the # symbol) are gaining increased popularity among social media users. However,... more Hashtags (i.e., the # symbol) are gaining increased popularity among social media
users. However, despite their intense use, little is known about their meanings. Only a
few published studies have investigated fragmented aspects of hashtags and treated
them as a functional means to structure content. In this study, we provide evidence
that hashtags’ meanings go beyond structuring or spreading content and represent an
integral element of contemporary communication via social media. In particular, this
study presents a series of six empirical studies, following traditions in grounded
theory and measurement theory research, to systematically assess motivations for
using hashtags. The results uncover the existence of 10 different motivations for use
(amusing, organizing, designing, conforming, trendgaging, bonding, inspiring, reaching,
summarizing, and endorsing). In addition, we show how these motivations differ
between platforms and also relate to different patterns of social media behavior. The
results contribute to a better academic understanding of social media, provide
managers with profound insights and can guide marketing tactics with hashtags

Female Flirting Cues and Male Perception

American Communication Journal, 2018

Dating is as common as eating and drinking in the world today. To improve the state of communicat... more Dating is as common as eating and drinking in the world today. To improve the state of communication in dating, this study examined the nonverbal cues displayed by women when interested in men and male perception of those cues. An observation of 30 women revealed the top seven nonverbal cues used when flirting. Those included smiling, laughing, batting eyes, provocatively dancing, initiating kiss, touching, and eye contact. Two focus group discussions revealed that men were most attracted to women that flirted by smiling and eye contact and the least attracted to women that bat their eyes. Theoretical contributions of this study relate to our understanding of cultivation theory and social learning theory.

Forgive and Forget: A Typology of Transgressions and Forgiveness Strategies in Married and Dating Relationships

Western Journal of Communication, 2018

One hundred twenty-three married and 93 dating adults completed a survey describing the role of f... more One hundred twenty-three married and 93 dating adults completed a survey describing
the role of forgiveness in their relationship, detailing relational transgressions that
prompted forgiveness, the perceived severity of the transgression, and strategies used to
express forgiveness. An inductive analysis of participant responses forms the basis to
develop a typology of strategies that romantic couples use to communicate forgiveness.
Specifically, dating partners tend to favor a minimizing strategy to forgive one another,
whereas married couples tend to use discussion and explicit strategies. The discussion
strategy was most commonly used to communicate forgiveness, especially following a
severe transgression. For milder transgressions, partners tend to favor minimizing and
nonverbal forgiveness. A new potentially detrimental forgiveness strategy, pseudo-forgiveness,
is also uncovered among married participants and its implications are discussed.

Sharing Emergency Alerts on a College Campus: How Gender and Technology Matter

by Pavica Sheldon and Mary Grace Antony

Southern Communication Journal , 2018

As universities strive to make campuses safer in the face of disasters - both natural and those o... more As universities strive to make campuses safer in the face of disasters - both natural and those of human origin – how students respond to emergency alerts ultimately defines the success of these efforts. This study investigates how gender differences impact college students’ responses to tornado (natural) and active shooter (human-made) emergency scenarios. Specifically, we examine perception of crisis severity, likelihood and motivations to engage in secondary crisis communication, the most likely recipients of shared emergency alerts, and how participants respond to these alerts. Findings reveal that women are likely to take emergency alerts more seriously than men and also engage in secondary crisis communication. Whereas males tend to share emergency alerts primarily to reassure others, women inform others so that they too may protect themselves. The implications of these findings are discussed with regard to social role theory and optimism bias.

Cyber Dating in the Age of Mobile Apps: Understanding Motives, Attitudes, and Characteristics of Users

With the advent of the Internet and social media, relationships and relationship formation have s... more With the advent of the Internet and social media, relationships and relationship formation have significantly changed. This is especially true in terms of finding romantic partners or " hook up " partners. The following study examined motives for using online dating websites and mobile dating applications, as well as attitudes toward those platforms, and demographic differences related to their use. A survey of college students revealed that the primary reasons for using cyber dating platforms are " Fun, " " Relationship, " and " Hook Up. " There were also differences in the attitudes of those that have experienced cyber dating platforms and those that have not. In addition, individuals with high self-esteem were less motivated to use cyber dating to hook up. Older users and women were more likely to use them for relationship reasons. Theoretical contributions of this study relate to our understanding of uses and gratifications theory and theory of reasoned action.

Emergency Alert Communications on College Campuses: Understanding Students' Perceptions of the Severity of a Crisis and Their Intentions to Share the Alert With Parents and Friends

Western Journal of Communication, 2018

The purpose of this research is to experimentally test the impact of emergency alert communicatio... more The purpose of this research is to experimentally test the impact of emergency alert communications on college students’ threat assessment and resulting behavior. Four different stimuli are created to resemble an actual warning message about a tornado and a shooting crisis on a college campus. Results of the repeated measures MANOVA
reveal that warning messages sent through text messages are perceived to be more serious than warning messages sent through social media. This is the case in both the shooting and tornado scenarios. In addition, an alert about a shooting is perceived to be more serious than a tornado alert. In terms of channels used to notify others about a disaster, word of mouth is the top choice for students.

A cross-cultural comparison of Croatian and American social network sites: Exploring cultural differences in motives for Instagram use

Although Instagram is one of the fastest growing social media, scholars are yet to examine cultur... more Although Instagram is one of the fastest growing social media, scholars are yet to examine cultural differences among users' behavior. The current study compares motives for Instagram use between participants from two countries: Croatia, a highly collectivistic culture, and the United States, a typically individualist culture. Specifically, it examines the relationship between motives and behavioral outcomes of use (time spent on Instagram, the frequency of hashtagging, and the number of Instagram followers). Findings reveal that while motivations behind Instagram use do not vary across cultures, different forms of gratification determine how Instagram is used, and how culture moderates these relationships. Croatian students' Instagram use reflects collectivist tendencies, primarily social interaction. American students' use of Instagram reflects individualistic trends, namely self-promotion and documentation. In addition, American students' self-promotion gratifications are significantly related to the amount of time spent on Instagram, although this effect is not apparent among Croatian students. While American students are inclined to use hashtags for documentation, Croatian participants tend to use hashtags for other reasons, including self-promotion, social interaction, and creativity.

“If she is that big, she can cook:” Comparison between White and Black young adults’ body image concerns

The present study contributes to our understanding o f differences and simi larities between Whi... more The present study contributes to our understanding o f differences and simi larities between White and Black women and men's body image concerns. The majority o f body image research so fa r has been conducted using sam ples ofpredominantly White women. The results o f five focus groups revealed important differences between the sexes and races when it comes to body image. While a difference between races was obvious fo r women, both Black and White men had similar experiences with their expectations o f what the ideal body in their culture looks like, and how they talk about their body with parents and peers. Theoretical implications are discussed.

Self-monitoring, covert narcissism, and sex as predictors of self-presentational activities on Facebook

The popularity of photo sharing on social networking sites has steadily increased in the United S... more The popularity of photo sharing on social networking sites has steadily increased in the United States over the last decade. Some research suggests that this increase in photo sharing correlates to an increase in narcissism, or an excessive interest in oneself and one's physical appearance. This study tested how self-monitoring, narcissism, and gender are related to photo-related activities on Facebook. Results revealed that high self-monitors engaged more often in the self-presentational opportunities on Facebook, including posting their own photographs and liking and

Facebook Friend Request: Applying the Theory of Reasoned Action to Student-Teacher Relationships on Facebook

Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 2016

The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that influence professors’ and students’ int... more The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that influence professors’
and students’ intentions to add each other as friends on Facebook. Participants
were 160 professors and 249 students from different universities in the United
States. Consistent with theory of reasoned action, intention was the strongest
predictor of them adding each other as Facebook friends. However, among
faculty members, a personal attitude was the most significant predictor of the
intention to add students as friends. For students, subjective norm was the
most significant predictor of the intention to friend professors

An Analysis of Imagined Interactions with Pro-Ana (Anorexia): Implications for Mental and Physical Health

by Pavica Sheldon and James M Honeycutt

For individuals suffering from an eating disorder, the Internet is a place of encouragement and s... more For individuals suffering from an eating disorder, the Internet is a place of encouragement and support. To date, however, no comprehensive research has been done to examine particular entries on blogs used by those individuals. Therefore, this study aimed to fill that gap. It focuses on what types of messages individuals communicate to pro-anorexia (pro-ana) website, and what types of imagined interactions they have with others about their disorder. A total of 587 pro-ana blog entries were content analyzed. The results indicated that individuals with an eating disorder blog to talk about their illness, to ruminate about the conflict with their parents and peers who often disapprove of their actions, and to ask for advice. Food is the most cited theme in the blog entries. This supports the evolutionary perspective that food is always on their mind, something those with eating disorders try to control.