Users' Satisfaction with Social Network Sites: A Self-Determination Perspective

Abstract

When the online social networking market is no longer a “blue ocean,” retaining existing users and maintaining their satisfaction with the current social network site (SNS) become SNS providers' most important tasks. This study applies Self-Determination Theory and examines the relationship between trust, relatedness need, and users' satisfaction with SNSs. Using Facebook as the context, we tested our hypotheses with the student sample from a large state university in U.S. The results show that competence and benevolence trust beliefs positively influence relatedness need satisfaction; relatedness need satisfaction and relatedness need level significantly influence uses' satisfaction with SNSs. The theoretical and practical implications of this study are also discussed.

• social network sites
• self-determination theory
• need for relatedness
• trust