A quantitative exploration of repeated advice-seeking on Reddit's r/relationships

Abstract

Online spaces for users seeking advice for personal issues have existed since the introduction of the Internet to the public in the 1990s. Today, online advice-seeking is a commonplace activity. However, understanding of this phenomenon is still limited. Much research on advice has focused on the evaluation and outcomes of advice, and on offline exchanges between non-stranger individuals. The current study was thus an exploratory step focused on identifying the factors related to repeated online advice-seeking behaviour. Specifically, the current study examined how (1) user-level differences and (2) differences in forum community reception may be associated with a user deciding to seek advice again on the same advice forum. One years’ worth of postings from a popular relational advice forum (Reddit’s r/relationships) and the posting activity of its users were analysed with the help of computational methods. Results indicated that certain user-level cues were predictive of repeat advice-seeking behaviour. Further analyses highlighted the importance of accounting for gender even when examining behaviour in a pseudonymous faceless environment. Practical implications and future directions were proposed and discussed.