Category Archives: Social Media

Facebook research, manipulations hardly impacted individual behaviour

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"I really expected bigger differences in behaviour than that"

Despite uproar about Facebook ethics, experimental results had a tiny impact on each user

Surprise, was definitely how I felt when I read how little user behaviour was affected by the experimental manipulations:

    • 1On average, people used less than one fewer emotional word in every 1000 words in Facebook posts over the following week
  • That means the difference made by the experimental manipulations was tiny

Significant results?

Yes, say the researchers1 owing to the huge number of 689,003 Facebook users involved. Their data showed that emotional states can become virus like, therefore, easily transferred to others. Consequently, people experienced the same emotions as one another without realising it, and without directly interacting. Exposure to emotions in a friend’s Facebook post was enough. For more information see the British Psychological Society summary article here: http://ow.ly/yEjRy​

Important results?

The researchers thought so. They pointed out with the massive scale of social networks such as Facebook; even small effects can have large overall impacts. Also, they thought that their findings might also be useful for relaying public health messages. However, I suspect that the manipulative aspect of their study may mean people feel nervous about how such recommendations are used. See my blog article about the ‘creepy or justifiable’ implications here: http://mwrconsulting.co.uk/?page_id=117

For an excellent summary of the research findings and the resulting ethical debate read a British Psychological Society article here: http://ow.ly/yEjRy​

 

1 Kramer, A. D. I., Guillory, J. E., Hancock J. T. (2014), Experimental evidence of massive-scale emotional contagion through social networks, PNAS, 111 (24), 8788-8790

Reach us at 07779 345 499, m.raymond@mwrconsulting.co.uk

Marjorie Raymond

Marjorie Raymond

T: 07779 345 499 E: m.raymond@mwrconsulting.co.uk We have experience in developing senior managers and their team members – both on an individual and team level – so they can develop practical approaches that encourage positive, constructive behaviour. This, in turn, leads to the development of positive beliefs and values. We are ready work with you, to help you get the best out of your people. Here are some examples of approaches that can be used and tailored to your individual needs:

  • Special projects, secondments and assignments
  • Mediation, to address workplace conflict
  • Personal development activities
  • Individual and group coaching…Coaching – a powerful way of developing people
  • Psychometric assessment, which can identify strengths as well as derailing behaviours and also include 360 degree feedback
  • Structured module for understanding the psychological contracts in your organisation, both at an individual or team level
  • Straight Talking: …Straight Talking create change through conversations

Facebook research, creepy or justifiable?

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It's called social media for a reason, nothing is private

It’s called social media for a reason, nothing is private

If you felt that recent Facebook research was a step too far, so did many others. However, many people were far from surprised. There was a grudging recognition that Facebook, and potentially other social media organisations, manipulate users and readers all the time. Yet, whether Facebook crossed an ethical line that will result in further repercussions from their users remains to be seen.

An excellent summary of the research findings and the resulting ethical debate was given by the British Psychological Society.

You can read it here:  http://ow.ly/yEjRy

 

Reach us at 07779 345 499, m.raymond@mwrconsulting.co.uk

Marjorie Raymond

Marjorie Raymond

T: 07779 345 499

E: m.raymond@mwrconsulting.co.uk

We have experience in developing senior managers and their team members – both on an individual and team level – so they can develop practical approaches that encourage positive, constructive behaviour. This, in turn, leads to the development of positive beliefs and values. We are ready work with you, to help you get the best out of your people.

Here are some examples of approaches that can be used and tailored to your individual needs:

  • Special projects, secondments and assignments
  • Mediation, to address workplace conflict
  • Personal development activities
  • Individual and group coaching…Coaching – a powerful way of developing people
  • Psychometric assessment, which can identify strengths as well as derailing behaviours and also include 360 degree feedback
  • Structured module for understanding the psychological contracts in your organisation, both at an individual or team level
  • Straight Talking: …Straight Talking create change through conversations

Isn’t the soup noisy today? 4 Social Media manners that matter

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don't slurp your soup

Take Social Media manners seriously and showing respect for your colleagues

You wouldn’t deliberately slurp soup at your desk would you? No, of course not.

You wouldn’t want the wrath of your colleagues to descend upon you for disrupting them. Also, most of us respect and consider the colleagues that we work beside and we all know that disruption of work causes conflicts and negative feelings.

Yet, when it comes to Social Media it’s amazing how often people break such understandings and subsequently disrupt others. However, by taking Social Media manners seriously and showing respect for your colleagues will allow you to go a long way in helping to develop a good working community. Here are four such manners that will help:

1. Encourage your colleagues to agree how and when you can all use personal social media at work. This helps to avoid recrimination and keeps personal social media activity within boundaries that meet both your supervisor and team colleagues expectations

2. Put your personal and organisation phone on silent in the office. Apart from happily missing out on each others calls, colleagues probably also would appreciate not sharing ring tones, bleeps and a shuddering /vibrating desk. Especially the vibrating desk, that tends to really press neighbours’ hot buttons.

3. When talking to a colleague don’t glance at your phone. It is annoying and disrespectful. However, if you need to check information related to the conversation, or if you are waiting for an urgent email then let them know. People don’t mind then. However, be warned, don’t abuse this social convention.

4. When you are in client meetings put phones into flight mode. Also, use your out of office message to manage incoming messenger expectations. In long meetings use breaks to check your email.

Trigger Happy TV and Dom Jolly’s socially unacceptable giant Nokia hit this awkward nail right on the head! You wouldn’t shout on your phone in the silent section of the library…so give your colleagues the same treatment. In short, your social media habits can be annoying. So please stop slurping your social media soup and let others work in peace.

Reach us at 07779 345 499, m.raymond@mwrconsulting.co.uk

Marjorie Raymond

Marjorie Raymond

T: 07779 345 499 E: m.raymond@mwrconsulting.co.uk We have experience in developing senior managers and their team members – both on an individual and team level – so they can develop practical approaches that encourage positive, constructive behaviour. This, in turn, leads to the development of positive beliefs and values. We are ready work with you, to help you get the best out of your people. Here are some examples of approaches that can be used and tailored to your individual needs:

  • Special projects, secondments and assignments
  • Mediation, to address workplace conflict
  • Personal development activities
  • Individual and group coaching…Coaching – a powerful way of developing people
  • Psychometric assessment, which can identify strengths as well as derailing behaviours and also include 360 degree feedback
  • Structured module for understanding the psychological contracts in your organisation, both at an individual or team level
  • Straight Talking: …Straight Talking create change through conversations