'Grow a set of balls' Gender differences in response to Facebook status updates

Presented by Richard Joiner, University of Bath

We have conducted a series of studies to examine gender differences in in response to Facebook status updates. The first study surveyed 600 undergraduate students (388 females and 207 males), and analysed male and female responses to Facebook status updates. Female public replies contained higher levels of emotional support than male public replies. There were no significant gender differences in private replies to Facebook status updates. Males showed significantly higher levels of emotional support in private messages than in public replies, whereas there was no significant difference in terms of level of emotional support between female public replies and private messages.

The second study investigated gender differences in response to Facebook status updates from same gender friends compared to opposite gender friends. We surveyed 522 undergraduate students (216 females and 306 males), and analysed male and female responses to two Facebook status updates. Females showed higher levels of emotional support than males to a Facebook status update from a same gender friend. In contrast, there were no significant gender differences in response to an opposite gender friend. Males showed higher levels of emotional support in private replies than public replies to same gender friends. There was no difference in level of emotional support between female public replies and private messages. We are currently conducting a third study which is further exploring this finding and preliminary findings will be presented.