Losing Face on Social Media: Threats to Positive Face Lead to an Indirect Effect on Retaliatory Aggression Through Negative Affect
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2015
Department
Mass Communication and Journalism
School
Communication
Abstract
A three-condition (rejection, criticism, control) single-factor experiment (N = 78) reveals that even relatively minor face-threatening acts of rejection or criticism on a social-networking site similar to Facebook lead to increases in self-reported negative affect and retaliatory aggression, compared with a control. A mediation model demonstrates that face-threatening acts lead to direct effects on negative affect and an indirect affect on retaliatory aggression through negative affect. Findings are discussed in relations to face theory and politeness theory.
Publication Title
Communication Research
Volume
42
Issue
6
First Page
819
Last Page
838
Recommended Citation
Chen, G.
(2015). Losing Face on Social Media: Threats to Positive Face Lead to an Indirect Effect on Retaliatory Aggression Through Negative Affect. Communication Research, 42(6), 819-838.
Available at: https://aquila.usm.edu/fac_pubs/18737