An empirical study of a social network site: Exploring the effects of social capital and information disclosure

• This study explores what factors predict increased comments and favorites on Flickr.
• We take a content coding on the photos of Flickr and analogous photographer profile.
• Three social capital indicators present positive effects on comments and favorites.
• Two indicators of information self-disclosure are significantly predictive.
• Photo comments and photo favorites are positively correlated with one another.

With theoretical bases in information self-disclosure and social capital, this study investigates what factors predict increased comments and favorites in a photography-related social network site. A content analysis of 558 photos on Flickr’s Explore page, as well as the analogous photographer profile pages, resulted in a rich data set on photographic characteristics, as well as indicators of information self-disclosure and social capital. Regression analysis indicated that, when controlling for photographic characteristics and other independent variables, photo comments and photo favorites were positively correlated with one another, three social capital indicators were positively associated with the two dependent variables (i.e., photo comments and favorites), and indicators of information self-disclosure were positive predictors in two cases. These findings are considered in regards to theory on social capital and information self-disclosure and, more broadly, on how social network sites function.