Choice of Real Versus Ersatz Social Interactions in the Formation of Social Capital Laboratory and Longitudinal Approaches

Abstract: The concept of social capital, "features of social organization such as networks, norms, and social trust that facilitate coordination and cooperation" (Putnam, 1995, p. 67), underlies recent attempts to understand community functioning and civic engagement. Putnam suggested that American social capital is declining, and that the rise of television is a primary cause. This dissertation investigated factors affecting individuals' choices of real social activities, versus "ersatz" (substitute) social activities. Ersatz activities are mediated activities (e.g., television viewing, computer-based interaction) that provide alternate means of fulfilling belongingness and interaction needs. Real social activities are more readily presumed to create social capital than ersatz activities. The dissertation comprises five regular chapters and a special sixth "highlights" chapter. The sixth chapter selectively reprises the entire dissertation into a lecture for general readers. Chapter 1 presents theory and a review of the literature. Chapter 2 describes a series of studies in which individuals had the option of a real interaction (with other students), an ersatz interaction (with a "chatterbot" computer simulation), or a non-social option (typing their thoughts alone). Mood was manipulated by false feedback (Study 1B; N = 215 undergraduates) or by reading affect-laden statements (Study 1C; N = 123 undergraduates); in a supplemental control condition (Study 1D; N = 27 undergraduates), mood was not manipulated. Across all studies, a substantial proportion of individuals chose the chatterbot option, and this ersatz choosing was generally robust across mood and interpersonal trust. These results were in contrast to a version of the same study that employed hypothetical choices (Study 1 A; N = 89), where most participants chose real interaction. The experiment described in Chapter 3 (N = 118 undergraduates) allowed participants to rate real and ersatz activities, and then select changes that would make those activities more or less appealing. The alterations tapped effort, risk, and immediate gratification dimensions. The pattern of alteration revealed that risk was a substantial consideration for real activities, while effort and immediate gratification drove choices of ersatz activities. Chapter 4 investigated the social-capital dimensions of real and ersatz activities, and the change in trust and activities over time. College students (N = 180) participated in a multi-wave longitudinal study over the course of an academic year. A non-student sample (N = 60) participated in a single-session survey investigating the same issues. Results revealed that real activities were better at instantiating most of the social capital-building dimensions, in both the student and non-student groups. Despite these advantages of real activities, ersatz alternatives appeared frequently in the free-response activity listing, particularly for the student sample. Trust did not change substantially over the time period of the study. In conclusion (Chapter 5), these results suggested that although individuals gain more benefits from real activities, and believe that they would choose real activities if given the option, people actually choose ersatz alternatives regularly. This frequent recourse to substitute social interaction occurred both in our laboratory investigations and in the free-response activity listings. Furthermore, the data suggested that psychological risk is a deterrent to real activities, while immediate gratification and low effort are attractions of ersatz. The current studies provide a fuller picture of both the frequency of ersatz choice and the motivations for those choices. Chapter 6 provided a streamlined version of the dissertation that was intended as a lecture accessible to a general audience. Chapter 6 substantially reorganized the first five chapters and borrowed selectively from them in order to provide a shorter and more coherent account of the highlights.