Departmental Papers (ASC)
Document Type
Technical Report
Date of this Version
11-2017
Publication Source
Information, Communication & Society
DOI
10.1080/1369118X.2017.1405060
Abstract
In this paper, we investigate how individual differences in availability preferences are related to (1) self-reported quality of interaction with strong and weak ties and (2) perceptions of bridging social capital. We employed experience sampling methods and collected data over the course of two weeks—combined with surveys at baseline and endpoint, from a random sample of college students (N = 154). We show that individuals who prefer to be more available to others report more rewarding interactions with weak ties. Furthermore, we demonstrate how the quality of weak tie interactions mediates a positive relationship between availability preferences and bridging social capital. We conclude by discussing the relationships between availability, interaction quality, and bridging social capital. We propose availability preferences as a key construct to be considered in future research.
Copyright/Permission Statement
Originally published in Information, Communication & Society © 2017 Routledge
This is a pre-publication version. The final version is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2017.1405060
Keywords
availability, weak ties, strong ties, social capital, communication technologies
Recommended Citation
Trieu, P., Bayer, J. B., Ellison, N. B., Schonebeck, S., & Falk, E. B. (2017). Who Likes to be Reachable? Availability Preferences, Weak Ties, and Bridging Social Capital. Information, Communication & Society, https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2017.1405060
Embargo Date
6-1-2019
Included in
Cognition and Perception Commons, Cognitive Psychology Commons, Interpersonal and Small Group Communication Commons, Personality and Social Contexts Commons, Social Psychology Commons
Date Posted: 15 June 2018
This document has been peer reviewed.