ABSTRACT This study examined the association between social media use and first-year college students’ academic self-efficacy in two large, research intensive universities in Flanders (N = 513) and the United States (N = 431). Given cultivation and social cognitive theories’ premises that consistent media messages can shape attitudes and beliefs about self and other, perceptions of others’ academic ease (or the perceptions of how difficult it is for peers to do well in college) was included as a mediator. For the U.S., Twitter was directly and indirectly associated with self-efficacy. In the Flanders sample, both Facebook and Twitter had significant direct and indirect effects on self-efficacy. The results’ opposite directionality (e.g., Twitter’s positive direct effect, Facebook’s negative direct effect) suggest the two media operate differently. Contextual differences and theoretical implications for media effects research are discussed along with practical implications for the first-year transition.

中文翻译：

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法兰德斯和美国的社交媒体强度和一年级大学生的学业自我效能感

摘要 本研究调查了法兰德斯（N = 513）和美国（N = 431）两所大型研究型大学中社交媒体使用与一年级大学生学业自我效能感之间的关联。鉴于培养和社会认知理论的前提，一致的媒体信息可以塑造对自我和他人的态度和信念，对他人学业轻松的看法（或对同龄人在大学取得好成绩的看法）被纳入作为中介. 对于美国来说，推特与自我效能直接或间接相关。在法兰德斯样本中，Facebook 和 Twitter 对自我效能感都有显着的直接和间接影响。结果的相反方向性（例如，Twitter 的正面直接影响，Facebook 的负面直接影响）表明这两种媒体的运作方式不同。