Predicting social networks and psychological outcomes through mobile phone sensing

Abstract

Proliferation of mobile phones over the last decade has led to innovative methods for studying social behavior and friendship patterns. Our present study combined advanced mobile phone technologies, such as Bluetooth scanning and automated pushing surveys, with self-reported questionnaires to examine the social structure and psychological well-being of college students. We distributed smartphones to 35 first-year undergraduate students to use everyday over one academic term (three months) and asked them to complete questionnaires on language background, loneliness, adaptation to college life, feelings of community cohesion, and friendship ties. Results suggested that behavioral networks in physical co-location, obtained using our mobile phone sensing techniques, reliably inferred real reported friendships. In addition, mobile phone usage, such as calling and SMS, were significantly correlated with psychological well-being in terms of feelings of loneliness, sense of community cohesion and adaptation to college life. Finally, results revealed that activities in the mobile phone social network, in particular SMS, may influence students' language use, such that students tended to adapt their language behavior to match that of their SMS partners.

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