Lee, Kloe;
(2025)
Exploring the effects of a values-based micro-intervention for social media use on emerging adults: a randomised controlled trial.
Doctoral thesis (D.Clin.Psy), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
Aims: Given the emerging understanding that the manner in which social media (SM) is utilised can significantly impact the mental health (MH) of emerging adults, this study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a values-based micro-intervention, rooted in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, in enhancing positive evaluations of social media use (PSMU), online values-consistent behaviour (VCB), and overall psychosocial functioning. Additionally, it sought to explore underlying mechanisms behind any findings. Methods: Employing a randomised controlled trial design, participants (n=190) were randomly allocated to the experimental (n=82) or control (n=108) group. Participants underwent either a values-based or matched control intervention, respectively, followed by five minutes of social media use (SMU). Immediate and sustained (from one-week follow-up) effects were analysed in relation to self-reported measures of PSMU, online VCB, affective states, social connectedness (SC), and general wellbeing. Thematic and sensitivity analyses of participants’ goals and values were conducted to explore reasons for findings/lack thereof. Results: No significant changes were observed in PSMU, online VCB, SC, or wellbeing in the experimental group. However, there was a significant main effect of timepoint on positive (p<.001, η2p=0.92) and negative (p=.039, η2p = .023) affect, with a significant group-timepoint interaction for negative affect (p=.036, η2p = .023). This indicated decreases in both types of affect post-intervention, with the control group also experiencing a decrease in positive affect. Nevertheless, the statistical significance of the impact on negative affect was lost after Bonferroni correction (alpha=.01). Secondary analyses revealed participants primarily aimed to enhance SC and reduce mindless SMU but did not exhibit shifts in VCB related to their most important or social values. Conclusion: The current values-based micro-intervention did not improve PSMU, online VCB, positive affect, SC, or general wellbeing. The study discusses whether the intervention equipped emerging adults with skills to align SMU with their values and identifies other potential avenues for future developments of the intervention.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | D.Clin.Psy |
| Title: | Exploring the effects of a values-based micro-intervention for social media use on emerging adults: a randomised controlled trial |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2024. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10201240 |
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