The effects of uncertainty and social identities in social media on the cognitive, emotional and behavioral responses

People strive to reduce uncertainties, and identification with groups is an effective way to do this. Nowadays, social media provide a new environment for group activities so widely used to reduce uncertainty. However, identity threats are common on social media. Therefore, we can expect that encountering identity threats on social media after an aversive situation such as uncertainty will motivate people to protect their in-group identity. In the first experiment, I aimed to examine effects of uncertainty and gender identity threats in social media on cognitive, emotional, and behavioural responses. 102 female undergraduates participated in the experiment. In order to manipulate the uncertainty, open- ended questions about uncertainty and positive affect were asked to the participants, and to manipulate the identity threats, social media profiles with and without threats were created by using the Social Media Ostracism Paradigm. Results showed the main effect of uncertainty on positive affect was significant. Other main and interaction effects are not significant. In the second experiment, the manipulations, and measurements from the first experiment were used. Differently, in order to manipulate the source of the identity threat, social media profiles provided information about the nationality (in-group member: T.R. citizen or out-group member: foreign national). 149 undergraduates participated in the experiment. Results showed the main effects of uncertainty and identity threats on dependent variables are insignificant, but the interaction effect on positive affect is significant. Accordingly, participants ostracize the outgroup member who threatened their identity more when uncertainty was high. However, in the in- group threat condition ostracism does not differ under the high uncertainty or control condition. In conclusion, the findings showed that people are partially motivated to protect their ingroup identities when uncertainty is high, and that uncertainty and social identity threats may have a motivating effect on ostracism. Keywords: Social media, social identity, uncertainty, ostracism, gender identity, national identity