Private Self-Consciousness and Self-Monitoring on Instagram: The Mediating Effect of Internal Locus of Control and Self-Concept

Abstract

Past studies examining the direct relationship between private self-consciousness and online self-presentation behavior have not met with much success. The aim of this study was to examine the direct relationship between private self-consciousness and self-monitoring as well as the indirect relationship between these two variables through the mediation of locus of control and self-concept among Instagram users. Besides investigating locus of control and self-concept independently, serial mediation of locus of control and self-concept in the relationship between private self-consciousness and self-monitoring was also examined. A sample of 309 university students was conveniently drawn from three private universities in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Participants completed a survey that collected data on private self-consciousness, internal locus of control, self-concept, self-monitoring on Instagram and relevant demographic data. Results of this study showed that there is no direct relationship between private self-consciousness and self-monitoring on Instagram. Independently, locus of control was found to mediate the relationship between private self-consciousness and self-monitoring while self-concept did not. The serial-multiple mediation test supported the mediating role of locus of control and self-concept on this relationship. These indirect relationships contribute to our understanding of the underlying mechanism through which private self-consciousness influences self-monitoring on Instagram.

Keywords:

• Private self-consciousness
• internal locus of control
• self-concept
• self-monitoring
• Instagram

Disclosure of Interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Xiamen University Malaysia Research Grant [XMUMRF/2019-C3/IART/0004].

Notes on contributors

Ashraf Sadat Ahadzadeh

Ashraf Sadat Ahadzadeh obtained her PhD in Mass Communication from Universiti Putra Malaysia. Currently, she is an assistant professor at the Department of Journalism, Xiamen University Malaysia. Her research interests lie in the area of media psychology, health communication and social media.

Fon Sim Ong

Fon Sim Ong graduated with a PhD in Consumer Behaviour from the University of Malaya. She is a Professor of Marketing at the Nottingham University Business School, University of Nottingham, Malaysia. Her research interest in consumer behaviour focuses on aging and older consumers, as well as on a wide range of topics that are related to what motivates consumers and how they behave. More recently, she is interested in applying the life-course perspectives in research on consumer behaviour.

Shin Ling Wu

Shin Ling Wu is a lecturer at the Department of Psychology in Sunway Malaysia. She received her doctorate in Psychology of Child Development from Universiti Putra Malaysia. Her work focuses on the well-being and mental health of adolescents and adults. She has presented on topics such as mental health issues, suicidal ideation and well-being at various international conferences. She is also a member of the Malaysian Psychological Association (PSIMA) and Asian Association of Social Psychology.

Ruolan Deng

Ruolan Deng received her Bachelor degree of Arts in Journalism from Xiamen University in Malaysia. As a graduate student, she majors in Communication Science at the Department of Communication in the University of Vienna currently. Her research interests include media and communication effects, health communication, and media and psychology.