The relationship between facebook utilization, perceived parental acceptance-rejection and identity orientation in adolescence

Abstract

This study aimed to get insight into the experiences of adolescents with Facebook and the possible impact of Facebook utilization on their personal, social and collective identity orientations; especially when considering the effects of perceived parental acceptance and rejection. The participants included 500 students from English preparatory classes at two established public universities in Istanbul. They consisted of 238 (47.6%) females and 262 (52.4%) males with a mean age of 19.10. Demographic Information, Facebook Utilization, Parental Acceptance-Rejection Perception Questionnaire [PARQ] Mother & Father Forms and Identity Questionnaire were administered to 500 students for data collection. The findings indicated that the mean scores of the adolescents for perceived maternal and paternal acceptance were in the normal range, implying that they experienced much more maternal and paternal love than rejection. In addition, the utilization of Facebook by male and female participants was similar, and the personal identity orientation scores for both males and females were higher than the scores in social and collective identity orientations. In terms of PARQ subscales, merely the adolescents’ hostility/aggression perceptions from father were positively correlated with their Facebook utilization. In terms of identity orientations subscales, merely the social identity orientations were positively correlated with Facebook utilization. Introducing the participants’ non-warmth perceptions from mother and father into the analysis explained 4% and 3.5% of variations in their personal identity orientations, and 2% and % 3 variations in their collective identity orientations, respectively. There were no interactions of the variables for mother and father PARQ subscales. While introducing the participants’ perceived total rejection from mother explained 2 % and 1% variations in their personal and collective identity orientations; perceived total rejection from father explained 1% and 2% variations in social and collective identity orientations, respectively. It was seen that lack of meeting the acceptance needs of adolescents by their parents may diminish their personal and collective identity orientations.