Research On Behavior And Motivation Of Active Participants In Livelihood BBS

Contemporary China is being in the social transition period. In livelihood BBS, there are a group of activists who actively participate in the discussion of the social public affairs through frequent posting. As active contributors of BBS’s content, active posters play important roles in setting the agenda of BBS and guiding BBS’public opinion, greatly influence the other participants in the awareness of social issues.The dissertation aims at studying active posters in livelihood BBS. On the one hand, the dissertation analyzes the behavioral characteristics of active posters, by using the data of participants in Tianya by-talk BBS as the study case, on the other hand, through the questionnaire survey, the dissertation investigates the participating motivation of active posters in livelihood BBS, and further explores the important influence factors of BBS participants’positive posting.The research abides the logic from virtual to reality, chapter1conducts the literature review of active posters in BBS and presents the research thought; chapter2defines core concepts, identifys the active posters in Tianya by-talk BBS, and constructs the classifying models for active writers and active repliers in livelihood BBS based on cluster analysis; chapter3using content analysis method,analyzes the opinion expression characteristics of active writers and active repliers respectively; chapter4analyzes the "concerning " characteristics of active posters using social network analysis; chapter5through the questionnaire survey,investigates the participating motivation of active posters in livelihood BBS, examines the significant relationship between the social background of the active posters and participating motivation, and explores the significant factors that affect posting behavior of participants in livelihood BBS.The research results go as following:In livelihood BBS, there are two basic types of active posters, which are active writers and active repliers. Based on BBS prestige and attention span of topic, active writers can be further subdivided into multiple topic-common writers, multiple topic-leader writers and Single topic-common writers. And according to the main types of replies and depth of post interaction, active repliers can be further subdivided in six different types.Active writers in livelihood BBS love to choose some of the negative issues and read all kinds of social problems using simple and typed cognitive style, taking aim at social elite group. In the process of active writers’ opinion expression, many communication skills are used, including exaggerated title, one-side prompt, comprehensive application of rational expression and emotional expression, hard-line assertion, as well as branding. At present, active writers’ opinion expression in Chinese livelihood BBS shows significant populism and egoism tendency, and active repliers’ opinion expression in livelihood BBS shows lack of consultation and self-serving bias. Their positive interaction has not led to the topics discussed in depth as well as rational consultation carried out.Compared with the general users, the active posters mostly have stronger willingness to "concern" others.1-30objects have been able to meet most of active posters targeted reading needs. Authoritative information source in realistic society and senior participants in forums become their common focus. Because of interest differentiation and competitive relationship, mutual concern is not common between active posters. The social network of active posters based on the "concerning" behavior present a relatively flat and decentralized structure characteristics in Tianya by-talk BBS, but there are still small-scale strong ties network around some core ID. In the social network of active posters, different activists plays five type of roles, including local central role, independent-type roles, pillar-type roles, dependent-type role, and marginal role.Information and ideas exchange, reputation demand, receiving social support and anonymous expression are active posters’ main appeal in livelihood BBS. Active posters participating motivations have significant correlation with their age, education level and income level.The only difference between active writers and active repliers reflects in the motivation of getting reputation. The sense of identity to forum, the motivation of exchanging ideas and information, the motivation of getting reputation are the significant factors inducing participants to actively post topic, and the sense of identity to forum and the motivation of receiving social support are the important driving force to inducing participants to actively post reply.