title: Research on the Internet: validation of a World-Wide Web mediated personality scale.
abstract: Two studies were performed to assess the validity of a World-Wide Web (WWW) measure of self-monitoring. In Study 1, Usenet Newsgroups likely to be read by high and low self-monitors were identified and a comparison was made of the extent to which contributors engaged in a form of self-presentation (use of handles or screen names) likely to be influenced by self-monitoring tendencies. Handles were used significantly more frequently in the high self-monitoring Newsgroups, supporting the distinction made. In Study 2, participants recruited through these sets of Newsgroups completed the WWW-mediated test. Those from the high self-monitoring groups scored significantly higher. Self-reports of self-monitoring behavior also reflected scores on the scale. The results are interpreted as demonstrating the construct validity of the instrument used and the viability of criterion-group-oriented methods in Internet-mediated research.
authors.affiliation: University of Sunderland, England. tb99@iname.com
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Buchanan
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003146:Communications Media / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000592:standards*; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D015983:Selection Bias; D012647:Self-Assessment