The Need for Social Feedback in Social Network Users and Social Well-being; Mediating Role of Basic Public Needs

The social well-being of social media users is one of the important issues in which there is a need to investigate the role of psychological factors. The present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between the need for online social feedback and social health and consider the mediating role of basic public needs in social network users.  

The research method was descriptive and correlational. According to Kline's (2011) sample size determination method, 380 people were selected as a sample using the available sampling method. Data collection tools included the Internet Social Feedback Need Scale (NfOSF; Doradooni et al, 2023), Keyes and Shapiro's (2004) social well-being Scale, and the General Basic Needs Satisfaction Scale (BNSG-S; Genieh, 2003). The data were analyzed using the structural equation model method.

The results showed a significant and positive correlation between all variables (p<0.01). Based on the results, the need for social feedback in social networks is 46% directly (p=0.001, β=-0.46) and 32% indirectly (p=0.001, β=-0.32) β) explains the variance of social well-being. Also, the need for social feedback in social networks is 62% (p=0.001, β=0.62) of the variance of satisfaction of basic public needs and satisfaction of basic public needs explains 52% (p=0.001, β=0.52) of the variance of social well-being.

The need for social feedback in social networks is related to the lack of satisfaction with basic public needs. The need for online social feedback and failure to satisfy basic public needs predict low social well-being in social network users.