The development and evaluation of International friendship programs carried out using an SNS

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25285178
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Social psychology
• Research Institution: Ochanomizu University
• Principal Investigator: Sakamoto Akira お茶の水女子大学, 基幹研究院, 教授 (00205759)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): HASEGAWA Mari 横浜市立大学, 都市社会文化研究科, 教授 (10376973) ; MUKAIDA Kumiko 放送大学, 教養学部, 准教授 (70310448) ; TAJIMA Sachi 東海大学, チャレンジセンター, 講師 (60589480) ; MATSUO Yumi 関東短期大学, こども学科, 講師 (50711628)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: SNS / インターネット / 国際交流 / 異文化間コミュニケーション / 縦断調査 / 教育プログラム / 自動翻訳

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we investigated the influence of international exchange via Social Networking Services (SNS) on reducing prejudices. In study 1, we conducted a four-wave Web-based longitudinal survey, and this showed that prejudice was reduced not only by direct contact interacting with foreign users via SNS but also by indirect contact through one’s friends interacting with foreigners.
In study 2, we conducted an international exchange program via SNS, and evaluated its educational effects through experimentation. The results showed that one’s impression of foreigners improved more for the direct-contact and indirect-contact groups than for the control group and more for the direct-contact group than for the indirect-contact group. On the other hand, the prior acquisition of knowledge regarding interaction appeared to have no effect, and this suggests that sufficient effects may be achieved even with no preparation prior to the interaction.

Free Research Field

社会心理学