Emotion regulation in bereavement: searching for and finding emotional support in social network sites

Abstract

In an age of rising impact of online communication in social network sites (SNS), emotional interaction is neither limited nor restricted by time or space. Bereavement extends to the anonymity of cyberspace. What role does virtual interaction play in SNS in dealing with the basic human emotion of grief caused by the loss of a beloved person? The analysis laid out in this article provides answers in light of an interdisciplinary perspective on online bereavement. Relevant lines of research are scrutinized. After laying out the theoretical spectrum for the study, hypotheses based on a prior in-depth qualitative content analysis of 179 postings in three different German online bereavement platforms are proposed and scrutinized in a quantitative content analysis (2127 postings from 318 users). Emotion regulation patterns in SNS and similarities as well as differences in online bereavement of children, adolescents and adults are revealed. Large-scale quantitative findings into central motives, patterns, and restorative effects of online shared bereavement in regulating distress, fostering personal empowerment, and engendering meaning are presented. The article closes with implications for further analysis in memorialization practices.

Keywords:

• Social network sites
• Bereavement
• Psychology of emotions
• Communication analysis
• Emotion regulation

Acknowledgment

This article has benefited from insightful comments from both anonymous reviewers. I also extend my gratitude for valuable comments provided by my colleague Volker Gehrau. Finally, I want to thank each and every member of my research team at the Technische Universität Dresden: Katrin Wasgien, Kevin Klamert, Charlotta Knigge, Lisa Krämer, Carolin Pohl, and Anne Schier for a fruitful collaboration.

Funding

The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Notes

[1] These are Trauerverlustforum [“morning and loss forum”], Young Wings, and Meine Trauer [“my sorrow”] (cf. Döveling & Wasgien, in press).

[2] In the previous qualitative analysis (Döveling & Wasgien, in press), the number of participants as well as the sensitivity of the subject matter necessitated that the researchers protect participants’ identities. Therefore, the previous qualitative content analysis (Döveling & Wasgien, in press) did not grant any probability of identifying any individual mourner. First, the full names were not revealed online by the participants themselves. Second, to insure their own anonymity, most participants employed self-given nicknames. Third, if they used their real names – which very few did – it was only the first name. In addition, for those participants who had used their real name, the researchers (Döveling & Wasgien, in press) did not disclose it, but used only a single letter assigned to the post. Data for the analysis were collected from bereavement discussion forums accessible to the public. The data was stored on a computer and password-protected. In the results, the sole details were the age group of the participants. In order to show the reliability of the study, the participants’ statements were chosen in a way as not to make identification possible.

[3] The research project was led by the author and conducted in a team at TU Dresden. Supervisor was Katrin Döveling, research team: Katrin Wasgien, Kevin Klamert, Charlotta Knigge, Lisa Krämer, Carolin Pohl, and Anne Schier.

[4] The platform YW was exclusively designed for children and young adults up to the age of 21. The two platforms, MT and TVF, do not explicitly address children or adolescents. They are open to young adults, yet are predominantly used by adults. This enabled this differentiation.

[5] In addition, it is not only the text-based communication that highlights the positive, supportive emotional valence conveyed in the postings (MT = 79.9%, TVF = 58.1%, YW = 65.5%, Total = 72.3%, CV = .192***), but also the visual communication, which discloses overall positive, supportive elements (MT = 65.8%, TVF = 32.8%, YW = 74.3%, Total = 61.6%, CV = .291***).