Abstract

This study generalized the verbal communications of college students who use Facebook to contact friends and identified the detailed content of the verbal communications that predict interpersonal relationships in real life. Initially, 300 Taiwan college students were interviewed about their Facebook use, and verbal communications were divided into six categories. Two verbal communications were classified as verbal actions with self-disclosure due to their reference to personal thoughts, feelings and emotions: “sharing personal experiences”, and “disclosing private emotions”. The remaining four were classified as verbal actions with non-self-disclosure. Afterward, by developing the questionnaire items for verbal communications and interpersonal relationships, the study conducted a validated survey of 477 Taiwanese college students during April, 2013 to June, 2013. The study shows that students use verbal actions for non-self-disclosure more frequently than for self-disclosure when using Facebook to contact friends. Another finding is that “giving emotional encouragements” and “delivering public information” are the predictors of positive interpersonal relationships. The study contributes to the literature by specifically showing that, compared to interpersonal relationships only impacted by emotional verbal communications, verbal communications related to psychological needs or useful and delivery of original information on Facebook, enhance interpersonal relationships.

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