Psychological Factors Affecting Disclosure of Others’ Information on Twitter: Focusing on Friends and Acquaintances

This study investigated the psychological factors affecting the disclosure of information about others on Twitter. A web-based survey was conducted with high-school and university students on Twitter, to examine the disclosure of information about friends and acquaintances on their accounts, during the past month. Participants also responded to scales assessing psychological factors, including privacy consciousness. Results indicated that those with low scores of consciousness and behaviors regarding self-privacy were prone to disclosing information about their friends and acquaintances. Moreover, need for popularity and risk perception of crime positively affected disclosure. However, consciousness and behaviors related to privacy of others had little effect on disclosure. The above results were seen for both high school and university students.