Do online social networks contribute to social connectedness and wellbeing for ex-New Zealand police officers? : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand

Abstract

Police officers are routinely exposed to a wide range of stressors as part of their operational day. Research has demonstrated that chronic exposure to stress can impact wellbeing. Police are not immune to this phenomenon, and an increased incidence of compromised wellbeing has been reported in police cohorts. Officers in active service are typically the focus of wellbeing research despite evidence that the detrimental effects of policing endure into retirement. Social connectedness is well supported in the research literature as a promoter of wellbeing. Over the last two decades, the internet and online social networking platforms have transformed how individuals and groups socially connect (Klimmt et al., 2018; Vorderer et al., 2017). Part of this transformation has been the rapid growth of online social networking platforms. In response to this growth, a burgeoning research interest in the effects of social network use on wellbeing has developed. This study used a cross-sectional research design to explore the relationships between social networking site use, social connectedness and wellbeing for a group of ex-police officers. Participants completed a survey assessing their social network site use, online social connectedness, loneliness and wellbeing. The research survey included the use of a scaled model of wellbeing based in te ao Māori, Te Whare Tapa Whā, in conjunction with a validated scale of wellbeing. No statistically significant relationships were observed between social network site use, social connectedness and wellbeing. A moderate positive relationship was observed between the validated wellbeing scale and the Te Whare Tapa Whā scale. Although participants overwhelmingly reported that their social network use was detrimental to their wellbeing, this was not reflected in the study's data analysis. This study contributes to the limited research with ex-police officers and provides exploratory data to inform future research with this population. Recommendations regarding research design and population engagement for this cohort are made. This study also provides exploratory evidence for the validity of a scaled version of Te Whare Tapa Whā as a quantitative measure of wellbeing.