When Self-Disclosure Promotes the Psychological Ownership of Virtual Communities: The Role of Self-Uncertainty

Virtual communities play an important role in the digital economy and individuals' daily lives; therefore, both researchers and managers have endeavored to improve users' psychological ownership of virtual communities. This research aimed to examine the proposal that users' self-disclosure in virtual communities is an important influencing factor in their psychological ownership and that users' self-uncertainty plays a moderating role. Two studies were conducted to examine the proposals. To establish the causal relationship, Study 1 conducted a 2 (self-disclosure: high vs. low) × 2 (self-uncertainty: high vs. low) experimental design in which participants' self-uncertainty and self-disclosure in virtual communities were manipulated. To enhance ecological validity, Study 2 used a daily diary method that surveyed 102 college students for a week. The participants reported their daily experiences with actual virtual platforms, including self-uncertainty, self-disclosure, and psychological ownership. Studies 1 and 2 revealed that the positive relationship between self-disclosure and the psychological ownership of virtual communities was moderated by self-uncertainty. For participants with higher levels of self-uncertainty, their self-disclosure in virtual communities is more likely to increase their psychological ownership. This study revealed the moderating role of self-uncertainty in the relationship between self-disclosure and psychological ownership, which contributes to the literature on virtual communities and psychological ownership and has substantial implications for users and managers of virtual communities.