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Psychological Sense of Community in Groups on the Internet

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 February 2012

Peter M. Forster*
Affiliation:
University of the South Pacific, Fiji.
*
Address for correspondence: Lytse Mar 40, 8523 NN, Idskenhuizen, the Netherlands. E-mail: pmforster@yahoo.com
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Abstract

Psychological sense of community (PSOC) was studied within two types of virtual community and one type of community of place. Fifty-six members of these community groups completed the Sense of Community Index (SCI). An analysis of variance found partial support for the initial hypotheses with the intentional-community-of-place group scoring significantly higher on the SCI than the location-oriented virtual community. The results were discussed in the context of 3 PSOC correlates of depth of disclosure, reciprocity and shared interests/experience. It was concluded that virtual communities may contribute to overall PSOC.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2004

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