# Development and Validation of a Scale for Measuring Motivations to Use Facebook: Results of Second-Order Confirmatory Factor Analysis

Authors: Qaisar Khalid Mahmood; Muhammad Babar Akram; Muhammad Siddique Akbar; Muhammad Ishaq
Journal: Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies
 (2023)

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## Abstract

This study is aimed at investigating the motivational needs of Pakistani Facebook users and intended to develop a scale to measure motivation to use Facebook among Pakistani users. Opting uses and gratifications theory and reviewing the relevant literature, the researchers developed a scale comprised of six motivations. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with the university students, and 1245 university students participated in this study. The results of first- and second-order confirmatory analyses indicate that the scale was reliable and had construct validity as well. This scale confirmed six motivations as motivational needs of Pakistani Facebook users. This scale covers both social and personal needs. The findings of this study confirm that Facebook users utilize Facebook for various purposes.


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## Body

## 1. Introduction

In the last two decades, people have witnessed widespread adoption of social networking sites (SNSs) across the globe. These SNSs enable individuals to connect and interact with one another [1, 2]. Primarily, people use SNSs to develop new social ties and to maintain offline friendships [3–5]. SNSs also allow users to network with those people with whom they share similar interests or concerns [6]. SNSs are quite popular in each age group and every segment of the society [7], but young people are most vivid users of these websites [8]. In present times, the youth prefer to use SNSs for managing their social life [9]. Among the youth, university students are more inclined to use SNSs in routine life [10, 11]. Previous research indicates that 80 to 99% of young people anywhere are SNS users and the majority of them are university students [12–15]. University students spent around three hours every day on SNSs. They use SNSs excessively because they are considered “forerunners in the adoption of new communication technologies” [16].Globally, Facebook has become a leading social networking site (SNS) because of its more than one billion active users [17, 18] and global user base [19, 20]. People from all over the world, belonging to the different cultures and geographical settings, are now utilizing this platform with diverse motives and gratifications [21, 22]. Due to its versatile users, the researchers have investigated multipurpose use of Facebook [23–25]. Likewise, like other SNSs, the majority of Facebook users are adolescents and young adults [26]. Facebook is one of the most popular social networking sites among university students [27].Facebook was primarily designed to foster social interaction among university students and to provide a platform for information sharing and development of relationships with each other [28]. Scholars argue that university students use Facebook for different purposes (e.g., informational, recreational, communicative, and entertainment), but it entirely depends upon their gratifications of how they make use of it [29]. In previous research, some scholars highlighted that students’ motives of using Facebook differed because they belonged to different cultures and social backgrounds [30].


### 1.1. Facebook Use among Pakistani University Students

Pakistan is represented as a country of young generation and also stepped into a digital culture. Official estimates reveal that there are more than 120 million Internet users [31] and 40-60 percent users are young people [32]. Among these Internet users, 43.55 million people use Facebook [33], the most accessed SNS in the country. Likewise, young people are the most active users of SNSs [34]. The Pakistani youth use Facebook in their routine life [35]. This becomes more significant for university students. At one side, the scholars examined the Facebook use among university students as a negative activity. They believed that Facebook use had bad outcomes for young people [36]. University students spent a lot of time on Facebook; therefore, they were considered obsessed with Facebook [37]. They primarily used this platform for entertainment and leisure activities [38, 39] and did not give proper time to their studies [36]. Besides gigantic claims made in these studies, these studies had theoretical ambiguities, lacked representative samples, and were based on descriptive analysis. On the other hand, the researchers contend that university students used Facebook in a positive manner [40]. They used Facebook for maintaining and developing social relationship [41], and they also used this platform for information seeking [42]. In addition, a relationship was also found between intensity of Facebook use and manifestation of social capital [43, 44].


### 1.2. Rationale of Current Study

Though the literature on Facebook use among the Pakistani youth is growing, no rigorous efforts have been made to understand the uses and gratifications (U&G) perspectives of young Pakistani Facebook users. As Dhir [45] reported, most of the studies investigating university students’ motives for Facebook use were conducted in the USA and other western societies. Therefore, there is possibility that cultural differences may exist in using Facebook among university students of other countries [30]. Keeping this in view, a scientific inquiry is required in order to examine the motivational needs of young Pakistani Facebook users in general and university students in particular. This study is aimed at developing a model of motivational needs for young Pakistani Facebook users studying at the university.


### 1.3. Literature Review

#### 1.3.1. Uses and Gratifications (U&G) Theory

U&G theory, a leading paradigm to explain media usage, assumes that people actively make use of media with certain objectives [46]. Unlike conventional approaches that focus on the effects of media exposure on audiences, this theory asks to study what people do with media [47]. This theory provides an explanation why users use a specific medium and what kinds of functions that medium serves for them [48]. Over the years, the researcher used U&G theory to study conventional mass media [49], interpersonal communication [50], and Internet [51, 52]. Therefore, scholars consider U&G theory “a cutting edge approach” to locate motives of using communication technologies like SNSs [53]. Papacharissi [54] noted that U&G theory was frequently used to explore the social and psychological antecedents (i.e., individual differences), media use motives, and media use effects or consequences. According to U&G theory, users seek gratifications from various kinds of communicational technologies, and these gratifications represent users’ needs or motivations [55]. As U&G theory posits its users as active users, therefore, gratifications sought from media and communication technologies are goal-oriented and utility-driven for its users [56, 57]. Leung [58] suggest that goal-oriented and utility-driven use of communication technologies determines the motivations behind the use of any communication technology. This particular study used U&G theory to explain what utility-driven and goal-directed gratifications Pakistani students attained through Facebook use at university level.


### 1.4. Motivations to Use SNSs and Facebook

In order to explain gratifications sought from Facebook and other SNSs, various studies have been conducted over the period of time. The authors did a systematic review (see Table1) of these studies to find out key motivations that young people reported for their Facebook use. The literature was searched on Google Scholar with various search terms. These search terms included “motives to use Facebook”, “users’ gratifications from Facebook”, “Pakistani youth motivations to use Facebook”, and “motivations to use social media in Pakistan”. In earlier research, studies reported that Facebook users primarily use Facebook for sustaining their offline friendships and for finding new friends through this platform [15, 59–64]. Young people believe that Facebook is a good source for information seeking and sharing. Thus, they utilize this platform for information seeking and sharing [65–70].Table 1
Review of the studies.
YearAuthorsMotivations to use Facebook2008ForeggerPass time, connection, sexual attraction, utilities and upkeeps, establish/maintain old ties, accumulation, social comparison, and channel use and networking2008JoinsonConnection, shared identities, photographs, content, social investigation, social network and surfing, and status updating2008Raacke & Bonds-RaackeKeep in touch with old friends, keep in touch with current friends, post/look at pictures, make new friends, locate old friends, learn about events, post social functions, feel connected, share information about oneself, and for academic purposes and/or dating purposes2008SheldonRelationship maintenance, passing time, virtual community, entertainment, coolness, and companionship2009Urista, Dong & DayEfficient communication, convenient communication, curiosity about others, popularity, and relationship formation reinforcement2010Bonds-Raacke & RaackeInformation, friendship, and connection2010Gülnar, Balcı and ÇakıNarcissism and self-expression, media drenching and performance, passing time, information seeking, personal status, relationship maintenance, and entertainment2010Quan-Haase & YoungPastime, affection, fashion, share problems, sociability, and social information2010Kim, Kim & NamSocial motivation and non-social motivation2011Baek et al.Information sharing, convenience and entertainment, pass time, interpersonal utility, and control2011Cheung, Chiu & LeeSocial identify, purpose value, self-discovery, maintaining interpersonal interconnectivity, social enhancement, entertainment value, and social presence2011HewMaintain existing relationships, meet new people, fun, make oneself more popular, pass time, express or present oneself, learning, task management tool, and activism2011Kim, Sohn & ChoiSeeking friends, social support, entertainment, information, and convenience2011Zhang, Tang & LeungSocial surveillance, entertainment, recognition, emotional support, network extension, and maintenance2012Alhabash et al.Social connection, shared identities, photographs, contents, social investigation, social network surfing, and status updates2012Gadekar, Krishnatray & GaurRelationship maintenance, user-friendliness, relaxation, connecting with old friends, and social interaction2012Hew & CheungKeeping in touch with friends, entertainment, broadening the social network, expressing emotions, following the trend/crowd, and for fun/for the sake of having a Facebook account2012Hunt, Atkin & KrishnanInterpersonal utility, self-expression, entertainment, and passing time2012TosunMaintain long-distance relationships, game playing/entertainment, active forms of photo-related activities, organizing social activities, passive observations, establishing new friendships, and initiating and/or terminating romantic relationships2012Wang, Tchernev & SollowayEmotional needs, cognitive needs, social needs, and habitual needs2012Xu et al.Coordination, disclosure, escape, immediate access, leisure, and stylishness2013Alemdar & KökeSocial surveillance, recognition, emotional support, social connectivity, entertainment, narcissism and self-expression, ease to use, freedom and courage, and adaptation to new challenges2013Balakrishnan & ShamimSocial networking, psychological benefits, entertainment, self-presentation, and skill enhancement2013ChigonaKeeping in touch with friends, diversion (escape) and entertainment and pass time, find friends from past relationships by using the friends search function, voyeurism, self-expressing, and social utility2013Dhaha & IgaleVirtual companionship and escape, interpersonal entertainment, self-description of own country, self-expression, information seeking, and passing time2013Ku, Chen & ZhangInformation, entertainment, fashion, sociability, and relationship maintenance2013Kwon, D’Angelo & McLeoInformation seeking, entertainment, communication, social relations, escape, and Facebook applications2013Jackson & WangKeeping in touch with parents and other family members, keeping in touch with friends, connecting with people known but rarely seen, meeting new people, and obtaining information2013Pai & ArnottBelonging, hedonism, self-esteem, and reciprocity2013Patra, Gadekar & KrishnatrayRelationship maintenance, user-friendliness, relaxation, and connecting with old friends2013Whiting & WilliamsSocial interaction, information seeking, pass time, entertainment, relaxation, communicatory utility, convenience utility, expression of opinion, information sharing, and surveillance/knowledge about2013Yang & BrownRelationship formation and relationship maintenance2014Alhabash, Chiang & HuangInformation sharing, self-documentation, social interaction, entertainment, passing time, self-expression, and medium appeal2014Karimi et al.Interpersonal utility, pass time, entertainment, information seeking, and convenience2014Huang, Hsieh & WuSocial gratifications2014Luchman, Bergstrom & KrulikowskiInformation seeking, focused entertainment, purposive driven fun, and socially driven fun2014Giota & KleftarasInterpersonal utility, information seeking, entertainment, escape, and convenience2014Park & LeeEntertainment, relationship maintenance, self-expression, and communication2015Basilisco & ChaSeeking friends, entertainment, information, and convenience2015Antoniadis, Koukoulis & SerdarisDebating, socializing, expression, and entertainment2015Rae & LonborgInformation, friendship, and connection2015Ahmad, Mustafa & UllahCommunication and interaction, outward looking, and self-actualization2016Briones & JanoskeKeeping in touch with others, help with work, and improving general knowledge2016Goktalay & OzdilekGaining knowledge, communication, acquire acquaintances, and be environment friendly2016IfinedoSocial enhancement, maintaining interpersonal interconnectivity, entertainment value, self-discovery value, and purposive valueThey also spend time on Facebook for their leisure and recreational activities. Recent research also indicates that young Facebook users utilize this website for expressing their selves and document their life events on Facebook. In addition, other motivations have also been reported for Facebook use among the youth. In this study, the authors used a five-factor motivational model to explain the use of Facebook among university students. The motivations were making new social ties, maintaining existing social ties, seeking and sharing information, recreation and entertainment, and self-expression and self-documentation. This model fulfils the assumption of U&G theory that these motivations reflect utility-driven and goal-directed use of Facebook among the Pakistani youth. This study was a part of doctoral research project done by the principal author. The research project was approved by the advanced studies research board (ASRB), University of the Punjab, Lahore [71].


## 1.1. Facebook Use among Pakistani University Students

Pakistan is represented as a country of young generation and also stepped into a digital culture. Official estimates reveal that there are more than 120 million Internet users [31] and 40-60 percent users are young people [32]. Among these Internet users, 43.55 million people use Facebook [33], the most accessed SNS in the country. Likewise, young people are the most active users of SNSs [34]. The Pakistani youth use Facebook in their routine life [35]. This becomes more significant for university students. At one side, the scholars examined the Facebook use among university students as a negative activity. They believed that Facebook use had bad outcomes for young people [36]. University students spent a lot of time on Facebook; therefore, they were considered obsessed with Facebook [37]. They primarily used this platform for entertainment and leisure activities [38, 39] and did not give proper time to their studies [36]. Besides gigantic claims made in these studies, these studies had theoretical ambiguities, lacked representative samples, and were based on descriptive analysis. On the other hand, the researchers contend that university students used Facebook in a positive manner [40]. They used Facebook for maintaining and developing social relationship [41], and they also used this platform for information seeking [42]. In addition, a relationship was also found between intensity of Facebook use and manifestation of social capital [43, 44].


## 1.2. Rationale of Current Study

Though the literature on Facebook use among the Pakistani youth is growing, no rigorous efforts have been made to understand the uses and gratifications (U&G) perspectives of young Pakistani Facebook users. As Dhir [45] reported, most of the studies investigating university students’ motives for Facebook use were conducted in the USA and other western societies. Therefore, there is possibility that cultural differences may exist in using Facebook among university students of other countries [30]. Keeping this in view, a scientific inquiry is required in order to examine the motivational needs of young Pakistani Facebook users in general and university students in particular. This study is aimed at developing a model of motivational needs for young Pakistani Facebook users studying at the university.


## 1.3. Literature Review

### 1.3.1. Uses and Gratifications (U&G) Theory

U&G theory, a leading paradigm to explain media usage, assumes that people actively make use of media with certain objectives [46]. Unlike conventional approaches that focus on the effects of media exposure on audiences, this theory asks to study what people do with media [47]. This theory provides an explanation why users use a specific medium and what kinds of functions that medium serves for them [48]. Over the years, the researcher used U&G theory to study conventional mass media [49], interpersonal communication [50], and Internet [51, 52]. Therefore, scholars consider U&G theory “a cutting edge approach” to locate motives of using communication technologies like SNSs [53]. Papacharissi [54] noted that U&G theory was frequently used to explore the social and psychological antecedents (i.e., individual differences), media use motives, and media use effects or consequences. According to U&G theory, users seek gratifications from various kinds of communicational technologies, and these gratifications represent users’ needs or motivations [55]. As U&G theory posits its users as active users, therefore, gratifications sought from media and communication technologies are goal-oriented and utility-driven for its users [56, 57]. Leung [58] suggest that goal-oriented and utility-driven use of communication technologies determines the motivations behind the use of any communication technology. This particular study used U&G theory to explain what utility-driven and goal-directed gratifications Pakistani students attained through Facebook use at university level.


## 1.3.1. Uses and Gratifications (U&G) Theory

U&G theory, a leading paradigm to explain media usage, assumes that people actively make use of media with certain objectives [46]. Unlike conventional approaches that focus on the effects of media exposure on audiences, this theory asks to study what people do with media [47]. This theory provides an explanation why users use a specific medium and what kinds of functions that medium serves for them [48]. Over the years, the researcher used U&G theory to study conventional mass media [49], interpersonal communication [50], and Internet [51, 52]. Therefore, scholars consider U&G theory “a cutting edge approach” to locate motives of using communication technologies like SNSs [53]. Papacharissi [54] noted that U&G theory was frequently used to explore the social and psychological antecedents (i.e., individual differences), media use motives, and media use effects or consequences. According to U&G theory, users seek gratifications from various kinds of communicational technologies, and these gratifications represent users’ needs or motivations [55]. As U&G theory posits its users as active users, therefore, gratifications sought from media and communication technologies are goal-oriented and utility-driven for its users [56, 57]. Leung [58] suggest that goal-oriented and utility-driven use of communication technologies determines the motivations behind the use of any communication technology. This particular study used U&G theory to explain what utility-driven and goal-directed gratifications Pakistani students attained through Facebook use at university level.


## 1.4. Motivations to Use SNSs and Facebook

In order to explain gratifications sought from Facebook and other SNSs, various studies have been conducted over the period of time. The authors did a systematic review (see Table1) of these studies to find out key motivations that young people reported for their Facebook use. The literature was searched on Google Scholar with various search terms. These search terms included “motives to use Facebook”, “users’ gratifications from Facebook”, “Pakistani youth motivations to use Facebook”, and “motivations to use social media in Pakistan”. In earlier research, studies reported that Facebook users primarily use Facebook for sustaining their offline friendships and for finding new friends through this platform [15, 59–64]. Young people believe that Facebook is a good source for information seeking and sharing. Thus, they utilize this platform for information seeking and sharing [65–70].Table 1
Review of the studies.
YearAuthorsMotivations to use Facebook2008ForeggerPass time, connection, sexual attraction, utilities and upkeeps, establish/maintain old ties, accumulation, social comparison, and channel use and networking2008JoinsonConnection, shared identities, photographs, content, social investigation, social network and surfing, and status updating2008Raacke & Bonds-RaackeKeep in touch with old friends, keep in touch with current friends, post/look at pictures, make new friends, locate old friends, learn about events, post social functions, feel connected, share information about oneself, and for academic purposes and/or dating purposes2008SheldonRelationship maintenance, passing time, virtual community, entertainment, coolness, and companionship2009Urista, Dong & DayEfficient communication, convenient communication, curiosity about others, popularity, and relationship formation reinforcement2010Bonds-Raacke & RaackeInformation, friendship, and connection2010Gülnar, Balcı and ÇakıNarcissism and self-expression, media drenching and performance, passing time, information seeking, personal status, relationship maintenance, and entertainment2010Quan-Haase & YoungPastime, affection, fashion, share problems, sociability, and social information2010Kim, Kim & NamSocial motivation and non-social motivation2011Baek et al.Information sharing, convenience and entertainment, pass time, interpersonal utility, and control2011Cheung, Chiu & LeeSocial identify, purpose value, self-discovery, maintaining interpersonal interconnectivity, social enhancement, entertainment value, and social presence2011HewMaintain existing relationships, meet new people, fun, make oneself more popular, pass time, express or present oneself, learning, task management tool, and activism2011Kim, Sohn & ChoiSeeking friends, social support, entertainment, information, and convenience2011Zhang, Tang & LeungSocial surveillance, entertainment, recognition, emotional support, network extension, and maintenance2012Alhabash et al.Social connection, shared identities, photographs, contents, social investigation, social network surfing, and status updates2012Gadekar, Krishnatray & GaurRelationship maintenance, user-friendliness, relaxation, connecting with old friends, and social interaction2012Hew & CheungKeeping in touch with friends, entertainment, broadening the social network, expressing emotions, following the trend/crowd, and for fun/for the sake of having a Facebook account2012Hunt, Atkin & KrishnanInterpersonal utility, self-expression, entertainment, and passing time2012TosunMaintain long-distance relationships, game playing/entertainment, active forms of photo-related activities, organizing social activities, passive observations, establishing new friendships, and initiating and/or terminating romantic relationships2012Wang, Tchernev & SollowayEmotional needs, cognitive needs, social needs, and habitual needs2012Xu et al.Coordination, disclosure, escape, immediate access, leisure, and stylishness2013Alemdar & KökeSocial surveillance, recognition, emotional support, social connectivity, entertainment, narcissism and self-expression, ease to use, freedom and courage, and adaptation to new challenges2013Balakrishnan & ShamimSocial networking, psychological benefits, entertainment, self-presentation, and skill enhancement2013ChigonaKeeping in touch with friends, diversion (escape) and entertainment and pass time, find friends from past relationships by using the friends search function, voyeurism, self-expressing, and social utility2013Dhaha & IgaleVirtual companionship and escape, interpersonal entertainment, self-description of own country, self-expression, information seeking, and passing time2013Ku, Chen & ZhangInformation, entertainment, fashion, sociability, and relationship maintenance2013Kwon, D’Angelo & McLeoInformation seeking, entertainment, communication, social relations, escape, and Facebook applications2013Jackson & WangKeeping in touch with parents and other family members, keeping in touch with friends, connecting with people known but rarely seen, meeting new people, and obtaining information2013Pai & ArnottBelonging, hedonism, self-esteem, and reciprocity2013Patra, Gadekar & KrishnatrayRelationship maintenance, user-friendliness, relaxation, and connecting with old friends2013Whiting & WilliamsSocial interaction, information seeking, pass time, entertainment, relaxation, communicatory utility, convenience utility, expression of opinion, information sharing, and surveillance/knowledge about2013Yang & BrownRelationship formation and relationship maintenance2014Alhabash, Chiang & HuangInformation sharing, self-documentation, social interaction, entertainment, passing time, self-expression, and medium appeal2014Karimi et al.Interpersonal utility, pass time, entertainment, information seeking, and convenience2014Huang, Hsieh & WuSocial gratifications2014Luchman, Bergstrom & KrulikowskiInformation seeking, focused entertainment, purposive driven fun, and socially driven fun2014Giota & KleftarasInterpersonal utility, information seeking, entertainment, escape, and convenience2014Park & LeeEntertainment, relationship maintenance, self-expression, and communication2015Basilisco & ChaSeeking friends, entertainment, information, and convenience2015Antoniadis, Koukoulis & SerdarisDebating, socializing, expression, and entertainment2015Rae & LonborgInformation, friendship, and connection2015Ahmad, Mustafa & UllahCommunication and interaction, outward looking, and self-actualization2016Briones & JanoskeKeeping in touch with others, help with work, and improving general knowledge2016Goktalay & OzdilekGaining knowledge, communication, acquire acquaintances, and be environment friendly2016IfinedoSocial enhancement, maintaining interpersonal interconnectivity, entertainment value, self-discovery value, and purposive valueThey also spend time on Facebook for their leisure and recreational activities. Recent research also indicates that young Facebook users utilize this website for expressing their selves and document their life events on Facebook. In addition, other motivations have also been reported for Facebook use among the youth. In this study, the authors used a five-factor motivational model to explain the use of Facebook among university students. The motivations were making new social ties, maintaining existing social ties, seeking and sharing information, recreation and entertainment, and self-expression and self-documentation. This model fulfils the assumption of U&G theory that these motivations reflect utility-driven and goal-directed use of Facebook among the Pakistani youth. This study was a part of doctoral research project done by the principal author. The research project was approved by the advanced studies research board (ASRB), University of the Punjab, Lahore [71].


## 2. Methods

### 2.1. Data Collection

A cross-sectional survey was conducted with university students. These students were enrolled in eight universities of Lahore, the second largest city of Pakistan. The selected universities were University of Engineering and Technology, University of the Punjab, University of Education, University of Central Punjab, Government College University, University of Lahore, Lahore School of Economics, and University of Sargodha Lahore Campus. A total of 1245 students voluntarily participated in the survey, and they were randomly selected.


### 2.2. Instrument

Based on a comprehensive literature review that examined the gratification needs of Internet and social networking site users, a scale comprised of six motivations was developed to evaluate the students’ motivation to use Facebook in their daily lives. These motivations are Facebook use for maintaining existing social ties, Facebook use for making new social tie, seeking and sharing information, recreation and entertainment, and self-documentation and self-expression.


### 2.3. Analysis

The purpose of this study was to validate a model of motivational needs for young Pakistani Facebook users attending university. For this purpose, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed using SPSS Amos. The reason for using CFA was that the researchers had already developed a model of motivational needs that was based on users’ gratification theory and a literature review. CFA also provides a single-factor structure of the model. CFA was performed with a maximum likelihood model with standardized estimates and squared multiple correlations. To analyze the model fitness of the data, thep value of the chi-square test, the goodness of fit index (GFI), the alternative goodness of fit index (AGFI), the comparative fit indices (CFI), the nonnormed fit index (NFI), the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), and the standardized root mean square residual (RMR) were computed. Furthermore, average variance extracted (AVE) and composite reliability (CR) were also computed to validate the results.


## 2.1. Data Collection

A cross-sectional survey was conducted with university students. These students were enrolled in eight universities of Lahore, the second largest city of Pakistan. The selected universities were University of Engineering and Technology, University of the Punjab, University of Education, University of Central Punjab, Government College University, University of Lahore, Lahore School of Economics, and University of Sargodha Lahore Campus. A total of 1245 students voluntarily participated in the survey, and they were randomly selected.


## 2.2. Instrument

Based on a comprehensive literature review that examined the gratification needs of Internet and social networking site users, a scale comprised of six motivations was developed to evaluate the students’ motivation to use Facebook in their daily lives. These motivations are Facebook use for maintaining existing social ties, Facebook use for making new social tie, seeking and sharing information, recreation and entertainment, and self-documentation and self-expression.


## 2.3. Analysis

The purpose of this study was to validate a model of motivational needs for young Pakistani Facebook users attending university. For this purpose, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed using SPSS Amos. The reason for using CFA was that the researchers had already developed a model of motivational needs that was based on users’ gratification theory and a literature review. CFA also provides a single-factor structure of the model. CFA was performed with a maximum likelihood model with standardized estimates and squared multiple correlations. To analyze the model fitness of the data, thep value of the chi-square test, the goodness of fit index (GFI), the alternative goodness of fit index (AGFI), the comparative fit indices (CFI), the nonnormed fit index (NFI), the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), and the standardized root mean square residual (RMR) were computed. Furthermore, average variance extracted (AVE) and composite reliability (CR) were also computed to validate the results.


## 3. Findings

Fewer than half of the 1245 respondents (48.2%,n=600) were enrolled in the discipline of economics and management sciences. The majority of respondents (74.1%, n=923) had completed 14 years of education. The majority of users (22%, n=274) had a Facebook account for the last three years, while slightly less than the majority (20.6%, n=257) had a Facebook account for the last four years. The students spent 90 minutes (one and a half hours) per day on Facebook. They had an average of 250 friends on their network, of which 99 were actual or close friends [35].CFA was performed to assess the single-factor structure of motivations to use Facebook (Table2). The results show that fit indices are all within the acceptable limit (RMR=0.052, RMSEA=0.051, GFI=0.962, AGFI=0.946, CFI=0.958, and NFI=0.946). The factor loadings of the Urdu version of the FCV-19S were found to be statistically significant, ranging from 0.59 to 0.80. We also calculated AVE and CR, and the values of AVE=0.465 and CR=0.835 indicate an evidence of construct reliability (Figure 1).Table 2
Model fit indices of confirmatory factor analysis.
Model fit indicesGood fitAcceptable fitModel valuesNormed chi square (X2/d)X2/d<33<X2/d<54.38GFI0.95≤GFI≤10.90≤GFI≤0.950.962AGFI0.95≤AGFI≤10.90≤AGFI≤0.950.946CFI0.95≤CFI≤10.90≤CFI≤0.950.958NFI0.95≤NFI≤10.90≤NFI≤0.950.946RMSEA0<RMSEA<0.050.05<RMSEA<0.080.052RMR0<RMR<0.050.05<RMR<0.080.051Goodness of fit index (GFI), alternative goodness of fit index (AGFI), comparative fit indices (CFI), nonnormed fit index (NFI), root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), and standardized root mean square residual (RMR).Figure 1
Structure of motivations to Facebook. MOTIVS: motivation, NEWT: new ties, EXTT: existing ties, INFO: information, ENT: entertainment, SEDC: self-documentation, SEXP: self-expression.Table3 indicates that observed variables, Facebook use for making new social ties (β=0.62, R2=0.38, p<0.001), Facebook use to maintain existing social ties (β=0.59, R2=0.35, p<0.001), Facebook use for seeking and sharing information (β=0.65, R2=0.42, p<0.001), and Facebook use for recreation and entertainment (β=0.58, R2=0.34, p<0.001; β=0.82, R2=0.67, p<0.001), were significant and successfully loaded on the latent variable.Table 3Latent variableObserved variablePath coefficients (β)(R2)Motives for using FacebookMaking new social ties0.62∗∗∗0.38Maintain existing social ties0.59∗∗∗0.35Seeking & sharing information0.65∗∗∗0.42Recreation & entertainment0.58∗∗∗0.34Self-documentation0.82∗∗∗0.67Self-expression0.78∗∗∗0.61Note:∗∗∗p<0.001.Table4 indicates that all the items were loaded on their relevant constructs. The values of standardized estimates range from 0.61 to 0.87. These values were significant and well above than the threshold value of 0.050.Table 4
Standardized estimates of the scale items.
Loadings of the items on relevant constructsEstimatesI use FacebookTo make a lot of new friends through this platform ← make new social ties0.75To add friends of friends as new friends ← make new social ties0.76To allow strangers to add me as a friend ← make new social ties0.78To communicate with my existing friends ← make existing social ties0.70To find old friends with whom I have lost contact ← make existing social ties0.61To access and share information on social issues ← seeking & sharing information0.67To access and share academic information ← seeking & sharing information0.63To access and share sports information ← seeking & sharing information0.70To read and post jokes ← recreation & entertainment0.67To watch and share funny videos ← recreation & entertainment0.87To record what I do in life ← self-documentation0.80To record what I have learned ← self-documentation0.83To record where I have been ← self-documentation0.80To show my personality ← self-expression0.86To tell others about myself ← self-expression0.77


## 4. Discussion

The scale used to measure the motivational requirements of young Pakistani Facebook users was created using the findings of second-order confirmatory analysis, which are presented in this paper. The purpose of this study is to advance uses and gratifications theory by analyzing the gratification needs of Pakistani university students who use Facebook. Numerous gratification needs related to Facebook use have been identified. But it is still not clear what kind of motivations drives people to use Facebook [72]. Social needs are regarded by some academics as a key driving force behind Facebook usage. These needs are the development of new social ties, the maintenance of current social relationships, and the seeking of information through Facebook. However, the researchers assert that Facebook is primarily used by individuals for personal reasons. These needs are entertainment, self-expression, and self-documentation. In this study, both kinds of gratification needs were chosen as motivations to use Facebook on the part of Pakistani users. The authors created a motivational model for Pakistani Facebook users after conducting a systematic literature review. The social and personal needs of Pakistani students using Facebook were addressed by this model. In order to comprehend users’ gratification needs related to Facebook use, this research presented more thorough results and enriched the existing uses and gratifications research.The findings of the study implied that Pakistani university students made use of Facebook for both social and personal purposes. In other words, they had a multipurpose use of Facebook. Through Facebook, they were quite successful in creating new connections and keeping up with their old social networks. Facebook was a useful source for seeking and sharing information among university students. They could express themselves freely on this platform in front of other Facebook users. Facebook served as a source of entertainment for them as well. In order to evaluate the motivational requirements of Facebook users, the majority of the studies in the current literature used western populations as their samples. The sample in this study is non-Western. The findings asserted that non-western users also used Facebook for similar purposes as those employed by western users [73].There are some limitations to this study as well. Because the current study was cross-sectional in nature, more research is needed to generalize the findings. The data for this study was gathered from university students. Future research could be conducted with both college students and those who are not pursuing higher education in Pakistan.



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*Source: 4663586-2023-02-22.xml*