Post on 12-Feb-2017
Cross-cultural Research & Application in UX Design
University of Wisconsin-Madison Yang Liu, PhD in Communication
Culturally Specific Privacy Practices on Social Network Sites:Privacy Management in Photo Sharing by American and Chinese College-Age Users
University of Wisconsin-Madison Yang Liu, PhD in Communication
University of Wisconsin-Madison Yang Liu, PhD in Communication
Stereotype on culture & privacy:
High need for privacy in individualistic cultures
vs. low need for privacy in collectivistic cultures
University of Wisconsin-Madison Yang Liu, PhD in Communication
Stereotype on culture & privacy:
Yet, sociology of culture:
High need for privacy in individualistic cultures
vs. low need for privacy in collectivistic cultures
There can be multiple links between culture & privacy practices.
Need for privacy is universal.
Privacy practices are culturally specific.
University of Wisconsin-Madison Yang Liu, PhD in Communication
So … how does culture influence users’ privacy practices
on social network sites (SNS) through multiple linkages?
University of Wisconsin-Madison Yang Liu, PhD in Communication
So … how does culture influence users’ privacy practices
on social network sites (SNS) through multiple linkages?
Culturally specific SNS usage
SNS design with cultural sensitivity
University of Wisconsin-Madison Yang Liu, PhD in Communication
Privacy values: collectivism vs. individualism
Symbolic resources
Configuration of social distance in relationships
Model of multi-link cultural manifestation in online privacy practices (Yang Liu, 2015)
Values Customs Symbols
Culture Privacy practices on SNSs
Theory
University of Wisconsin-Madison Yang Liu, PhD in Communication
Privacy values: collectivism vs. individualism
Symbolic resources
Configuration of social distance in relationships
Model of multi-link cultural manifestation in online privacy practices (Yang Liu, 2015)
Values Customs Symbols
Culture Privacy practices on SNSs
Theory
Determine
University of Wisconsin-Madison Yang Liu, PhD in Communication
Privacy values: collectivism vs. individualism
Symbolic resources
Configuration of social distance in relationships
Model of multi-link cultural manifestation in online privacy practices (Yang Liu, 2015)
Values Customs Symbols
Culture Privacy practices on SNSs
Theory
Determine
Facilitate
University of Wisconsin-Madison Yang Liu, PhD in Communication
Privacy values: collectivism vs. individualism
Symbolic resources
Configuration of social distance in relationships
Model of multi-link cultural manifestation in online privacy practices (Yang Liu, 2015)
Values Customs Symbols
Culture Privacy practices on SNSs
Theory
Determine
Facilitate
Situate
University of Wisconsin-Madison Yang Liu, PhD in Communication
Step 1
1-month online ethnography on college-age Facebook & Renren
users’ online photo sharing
• Pilot study: highlight a domain of social life with cross-cultural similarity
• Family-centered social life during winter vacation
Research method
University of Wisconsin-Madison Yang Liu, PhD in Communication
Step 1
Step 2
1-month online ethnography on college-age Facebook & Renren
users’ online photo sharing
Focused observation on 10 FB users in America & 10 Renren users in
China during winter vacation
Research method
University of Wisconsin-Madison Yang Liu, PhD in Communication
Step 1
Step 2
1-month online ethnography on college-age Facebook & Renren
users’ online photo sharing
Focused observation on 10 FB users in America & 10 Renren users in
China during winter vacation
• journalism undergrads age 19-21
• 1:1 gender ratio
• 1+ year usage
Research method
University of Wisconsin-Madison Yang Liu, PhD in Communication
Step 1
Step 2
Task
1-month online ethnography on college-age Facebook & Renren
users’ online photo sharing
Focused observation on 10 FB users in America & 10 Renren users in
China during winter vacation
“10 photos on significant events during Winter break that you share
on Facebook or Renren” from each user
Research method
University of Wisconsin-Madison Yang Liu, PhD in Communication
Step 1
Step 2
Task
Compare
1-month online ethnography on college-age Facebook & Renren
users’ online photo sharing
Focused observation on 10 FB users in America & 10 Renren users in
China during winter vacation
“10 photos on significant events during Winter break that you share
on Facebook or Renren” from each user
Intimacy of subject matters
Public v. private space
Photo sharing privacy settings
Research method
University of Wisconsin-Madison Yang Liu, PhD in Communication
Step 1
Step 2
Task
Compare
Step 3
1-month online ethnography on college-age Facebook & Renren
users’ online photo sharing
Focused observation on 10 FB users in America & 10 Renren users in
China during winter vacation
“10 photos on significant events during Winter break that you share
on Facebook or Renren” from each user
Intimacy of subject matters
Public v. private space
Photo sharing privacy settings
Photo-elicited interviews on privacy consideration, social distance &
culture
Research method
University of Wisconsin-Madison Yang Liu, PhD in Communication
Privacy values: collectivism vs. individualism
Symbolic resources
Configuration of social distance in relationships
Values Customs Symbols
Culture Privacy practices on SNSs
Research results
X
University of Wisconsin-Madison Yang Liu, PhD in Communication
Research results
1
Renren users use more stringent privacy control than FB users in photo sharing.
That is, more stringent privacy control by SNS users in a collectivistic culture.
Privacy values: collectivism vs. individualism Culture
Privacy practices on SNSs
X
University of Wisconsin-Madison Yang Liu, PhD in Communication
Research results
1
Renren users use more stringent privacy control than FB users in photo sharing.
That is, more stringent privacy control by SNS users in a collectivistic culture.
American FB users Chinese Renren users
Subject matter Family life 53 Family life 33
Friends 29 Friends 21
Romantic relationship 6 Romantic relationship 1
Travels 10 Self-portrait 4
Part-time work 2
Public issues 36
Space Private space 56 Private space 40
Public space 44 Public space 60
Privacy setting All SNS friends 99 All SNS friends 100
Some SNS friends 1 Some SNS friends 0
Only the user 0 Only the user 0
University of Wisconsin-Madison Yang Liu, PhD in Communication
Research results
2
Privacy control is to achieve desirable social distance with SNSs friends in their cultures.
• Renren users has a more distant relationship with SNS friends, as appropriate in
Chinese culture (primacy of family overshadows importance of other in-groups).
Configuration of social distance in relationsCulture
Privacy practices on SNSs
University of Wisconsin-Madison Yang Liu, PhD in Communication
Research results
2
Privacy control is to achieve desirable social distance with SNSs friends in their cultures.
• Renren users has a more distant relationship with SNS friends, as appropriate in
Chinese culture (primacy of family overshadows importance of other in-groups).
American FB users Chinese Renren users
Dimension of sharing Articles, music, video, exchange messages for organizing informal offline gatherings
Articles, music, video, useful things such as tips for exam preparation & study methods
Dimension of understanding For friends publicizing different views, “I would drop the conversation, because of friendship . . . It’s worth fighting over.”
Most will engage in discussions. “I kept on persuading him , even in a slightly ironic tone” …“felt good when my opinion won.”
Dimension of concern For friends who haven’t update profile for a long time, “I would get ahold of them”, or “call them if I have number in real life.”
The majority said “they wouldn’t mind the situation.”
More distant & formal On all dimensions
University of Wisconsin-Madison Yang Liu, PhD in Communication
SNS users use cultural symbols to facilitate/justify SNS privacy management.
Symbolic resourcesCulture
Privacy practices on SNSs
Research results
3
University of Wisconsin-Madison Yang Liu, PhD in Communication
Abbey’s photo & how she used “self” in American culture to justify privacy control
• Family photo hiding family members’ images
Why Abbey shared this photo
Abbey’s response: “a self-reflection on who I am. I love baking and eating what I bake.”
Yet on further prompt: “It was my sister’s 24th birthday. I wanted to do something special for her.”
And her privacy concern: “A FB friend took a photo – it was myself and my family members – and put a very derogatory caption underneath it. I was very hurt …”
Research results
3
University of Wisconsin-Madison Yang Liu, PhD in Communication
Feng’s photo & how he used “social concern” in Chinese culture to justify privacy control
• Family photo hiding family members’ images
Why Feng shared this photo
Feng’s response: “Young people no longer go to the traditional couplets market. They should know what it looks like.”
Yet on further prompt: “I went to buy Chinese New Year couplets with my aunt and two older cousins.”
And his privacy concern:“People do the ‘human-flesh search’. You never know if your family did things people want to know.”
Research results
3
University of Wisconsin-Madison Yang Liu, PhD in Communication
Privacy values: collectivism vs. individualism
Symbolic resources
Configuration of social distance in relationships
Values Customs Symbols
Culture Privacy practices on SNSs
Conclusion
X
University of Wisconsin-Madison Yang Liu, PhD in Communication
So what …?
The implication for social media UX design
University of Wisconsin-Madison Yang Liu, PhD in Communication
Culturally sensitive
UX design
• Take caution to predict user behavioral patterns as determined by values.
• Use symbolic resources in a culture to channel user experience.
• Create UX design to allow for culturally specific social distance arrangement.
University of Wisconsin-Madison Yang Liu, PhD in Communication
Case 1
WeChat in China
“Red Packet” in China:
e.g. how a Chinese family set up a Red Packet tree for Christmas
“Red Packet” on WeChat: Launched in 2014 in China; as of 2016, altogether 32 billion packets’ digital cash and 200 million WeChat Pay users
A symbol of festivity & interpersonal rapport
A design to engage users & build a financial platform
University of Wisconsin-Madison Yang Liu, PhD in Communication
Case 2
Line in Japan
Social distance in Japan culture:
Social distance on Line: * used by 94% of Japan’s messaging app users
• High power distance, especially among non-family• Highly stress the balance of instrumental & affective
interaction in a relationship
Flexible choice between: • Free call• Free message • Create a group • Use Line emoji
Emoji facilitates affective interaction in instrumental relations
• Users most often use Emoji to manage communication with non-family relations (Sugyyawa, 2015)• Use emoji for conflict resolution (Lim, 2015)• Cat emoji = a mild & calm communication climate
University of Wisconsin-Madison Yang Liu, PhD in Communication
Thank you!
For questions or comments, please contact Yang Liu at yliu224@wisc.edu.