This study focuses on the role of individuals’ social networks and motivations in predicting their intention to participate socially. In an online survey, university students (N = 263) estimated the likelihood of their future participation in several types of civic and political activity and evaluated their possible motivations. Participants also indicated approximately how many of their social contacts were already involved in each type of participation, with this measure being used to calculate their degree centrality in social networks. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that motivations and social contacts were significant predictors of intention to engage in most forms of civic and political activity studied. Social contacts were more decisive in predicting political than civic participation. We also found that personal motivations mediated the relationship between social contacts and intention to participate in all cases except joining a political party. We discuss the results in light of their theoretical and practical implications.

这项研究侧重于个人社交网络和动机在预测其社交参与意愿中的作用。在一项在线调查中，大学生（N = 263）估计了他们将来参与几种类型的公民和政治活动的可能性，并评估了他们可能的动机。参与者还指出了大约每种类型的参与中已经涉及了多少社交联系人，该度量用于计算其在社交网络中的学位中心度。多元线性回归分析表明，动机和社会交往是参与所研究的大多数形式的公民和政治活动的意愿的重要预测因子。在预测政治参与方面，社会接触比公民参与更具决定性。我们还发现，个人动机介导了社会交往与参加除加入政党以外的所有案件的意图之间的关系。