Computers in Human Behavior 48 (2015) 181–189

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Computers in Human Behavior

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An empirical study on factors affecting continuance intention of using

Facebook
Ecem Basak 1, Fethi Calisir ⇑
Industrial Engineering Department, Management Faculty, Istanbul Technical University, 34367 Macka, Istanbul, Turkey

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: The main purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of the motivational factors on continuance inten-
tion of using Facebook. A Structural Equation Modeling approach was applied to identify the factors that
significantly affect the continuance intention to use Facebook. Using LISREL, data collected from 209
Keywords: Facebook users were used to test the proposed model. Results indicated that 62% of Facebook users’ con-
Uses and gratification theory tinuance intention to use Facebook is explained by attitude and satisfaction. Between them, attitude has
Information system continuance the strongest effect. Besides this, entertainment and status seeking have been found to have indirect sig-
Attitude
nificant effects on continuance intention to use, whereas information seeking and self-expression have
Satisfaction
Entertainment
been found to have insignificant effects. The study concludes with the discussions of the findings and rec-
Status seeking ommendations for possible future research.
Ó 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction and Gratification Theory (UGT) seeks an answer to those questions

Social networking sites (SNSs) have become very popular in the
last decade. SNSs enable individuals to create a personal profile in
an online system, make connections, and interact with other users.
They are mainly used for keeping in touch with friends or family,
making a network, sharing information such as news, ideas, pho-
tos, and events, and being informed about news, latest trends,
and activities.
Facebook is one of the social networking sites that was founded
on February 4, 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and his friends from the
University of Harvard. Individuals use Facebook to keep in touch
with family and friends, to get news about the things happening
in the world, to share the things that are important to them, and
to express themselves to others (Facebook Newsroom, 2014). Face-
book is currently the most popular social networking site in the
world. Worldwide, the number of daily and monthly active users
of Facebook are 757 million and 1.23 billion, respectively, as of
December, 2013 and the daily users of Facebook outside the United
States and Canada are around 81% of the total users (Facebook
Investor Relations, 2014). Therefore, the question to be asked is
what needs are fulfilled by Facebook and what motivational factors
make individuals continue to use Facebook. In the literature, Uses
⇑ Corresponding author. Tel.: +90 532 661 53 12; fax: +90 212 240 7260.
E-mail addresses: basake@itu.edu.tr (E. Basak), calisirfet@itu.edu.tr (F. Calisir).
1
Tel.: +90 212 293 1300; fax: +90 212 240 7260.
(Katz, 1959).
UGT is a mass communication research paradigm that explains
the media usage behaviors of individuals. It differs from other per-
spectives in asking ‘‘What do people do with media?’’ instead of
‘‘What do the media do to people?’’ (Katz, 1959). Therefore, this
theory is interested in how and why people utilize the media
and it looks for an answer to what social and psychological needs
of users are being met (Katz, Blumler, & Gurevitch, 1974; Katz,
Gurevitch, & Haas, 1973). UGT emphasizes the consumers’ role in
choosing a form of media that could be used to satisfy their social
and psychological needs rather than the media’s effects on them.
Individuals are goal oriented and play an active role in choosing
a particular media tool, as they are aware of their needs that should
be fulfilled (Rubin, 1993). It is the main assumption of the theory
which assumes that consumers purposely and intentionally use
mass media to satisfy specific needs (Eighmey & Mccord, 1998).
Severin and Taknard (1997) have also pointed out that UGT is ‘‘a
psychological communication perspective that focuses on individ-
ual use and choice by asserting that different people can use the
same mass medium for very different purposes.’’ Since the devel-
opment of the Internet, individuals meet their specific needs
through media consumption in terms of the Internet rather than
by using traditional media tools such as the television or radio that
were used in the past. In today’s world, users have many alterna-
tives to satisfy their needs (Ruggiero, 2000). In the literature, sev-
eral studies have investigated the uses and gratifications of various
types of media tools such as the Internet (Joorabchi, Hassan, &

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.01.055
0747-5632/Ó 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
182 E. Basak, F. Calisir / Computers in Human Behavior 48 (2015) 181–189
Hassan, 2011; Roy, 2009; Stafford, Stafford, & Schkade, 2004),
Facebook (Bumgarner, 2007; Joinson, 2008; Karnik, Oakley,
Venkatanathan, Spiliotopoulos, & Nisi, 2013; Papacharissi &
Mendelson, 2010; Park, Kee, & Valenzuela, 2009; Sheldon, 2008;
Smock, Ellison, Lampe, & Wohn, 2011), social networking sites
(Kim, Sohn, & Choi, 2011), twitter (Johnson & Yang, 2009; Liu,
Cheung, & Lee, 2010), and Yelp.com (Hicks et al., 2012).
The main purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of moti-
vational factors such as entertainment, self-expression, informa-
tion seeking, and status seeking on continuance intention to use
Facebook. These motivational factors are selected because of their
potential effect in explaining the motivation of using Facebook. In
the literature, several studies explore the motives mentioned ear-
lier for using Facebook (Dhaha & Igale, 2013; Papacharissi &
Mendelson, 2010; Park et al., 2009; Valentine, 2011). This study
makes a contribution to the existing literature in several ways.
First, this study provides evidence to the influence of entertain-
ment and status seeking on continuance intention to use through
satisfaction and attitude and shows the insignificant effects of
self-expression and information seeking on continuance intention
to use Facebook. In the literature, several studies also researched
the impact of factors on continuance intention to use SNSs.
(Chang & Zhu, 2012; Kim, 2011; Shi, Lee, Cheung, & Chen, 2010).
However, to our knowledge, there has been no study in which
motivational factors mentioned above are modeled together with
satisfaction and attitude. In the study of Shi et al. (2010), factors
such as disconfirmation of maintaining offline contacts, disconfir-
mation of meeting new people, disconfirmation of information
seeking, disconfirmation of entertainment affecting continuance
intention of Facebook through user satisfaction are examined.
Chang and Zhu (2012) conducted a study to understand the ante-
cedents of continuance intention of using SNSs. The core of the
research model is the relationship between satisfaction and SNSs
continuance intention, however they use different factors such as
perceived bridging social capital, perceived bonding social capital,
confirmation, flow experience, age, and gender rather than motiva-
tional factors. Kim (2011) analyzed the factors affecting continu-
ance intention to use SNSs. They propose a research model
including perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment, interper-
sonal influence, media influence, confirmation, and satisfaction.
So, the research model that is presented in this study differs from
the other research models related to continuance intention of SNSs.
Second, attitude is taken into account in this research, because
it is an important factor in explaining the behavioral intention of
individuals (Ajzen, 1991; Ajzen & Fishbein, 1977). In the literature,
many studies have investigated the effect of attitude on behavioral
intention to use a particular information system for the first time
(Blanco, Blasco, & Azorín, 2010; Huang, 2008; Karaali, Gumussoy,
& Calisir, 2011) but a few studies determine the effect of attitude
on continuance decision (Ho, 2010; Lee, 2010). Therefore, attitude
is included in this study.
Third, satisfaction is chosen, as it has been a critical factor in
explaining continuance intention of an information system (IS) in
the literature (Bhattacherjee, 2001; Oliver, 1980, 1981). In the lit-
erature, two most important theories explain the behavioral inten-
tion to continue using an IS. One of them is the Expectancy
Disconfirmation Theory (EDT), which is proposed by Oliver
(1980, 1981). The EDT explains the behavioral process of individu-
als’ continuance intention to use IS and suggests that user satisfac-
tion is the most important component in explaining the behavior
of continued use (Oliver, 1980, 1981). The EDT suggests that the
satisfaction level of a system which is determined by users’ pre-
use expectation of the system and post-use disconfirmation deter-
mines the intention to continue using an IS (Liu et al., 2010). The
other important theory is the Expectation Confirmation Model
(ECM), which is developed by Bhattacherjee (2001). The ECM is
used to explain users’ continuance intention to use IS, and this the-
ory also suggests that satisfaction has a key role in determining
intention to continue using an IS (Bhattacherjee, 2001). The ECM
suggests that an individual’s intention to continue using an IS
depends on three variables: the user’s level of satisfaction, the
extent of user’s confirmation of expectations, and perceived useful-
ness (Lee, 2010). Several studies investigate the effect of satisfac-
tion on continuance intention in different tools such as e-
learning (Chiu, Hsu, Sun, Lin, & Sun, 2005), online shopping (Lee
& Kwon, 2011), World Wide Web (Lin, Wu, & Tsai, 2005), social
networking sites (Chang & Zhu, 2012; Kim, 2011), web 2.0 (Chen,
Yen, & Hwang, 2012), and micro-blogging sites (Zhao & Lu,
2012), that is why satisfaction is also included in this study as an
important antecedent of continuance intention to use Facebook.
The last contribution of this study is that data was collected
from Turkish Facebook users. To our knowledge, no study has
investigated the factors affecting continuance intention to use
Facebook in Turkey. The related studies mainly determine the uses
and gratifications of Turkish Facebook users (Alemdar & Köker,
2013; Gülnar, Balcı, & Çakır, 2010; Koc & Gulyagci, 2013; Tosun,
2012), but they are not interested in their effects on continuance
intention of using Facebook. Cultural differences also play an
important role in motivating people for using SNSs. In the litera-
ture, there are studies that examine the cultural differences in
using SNSs (Jackson & Wang, 2013; Kim et al., 2011; Vasalou,
Joinson, & Courvoisier, 2010). Therefore, we believe that motiva-
tional factors affecting continuance intention to use Facebook
may differ from culture to culture. So, this empirical study will fill
the gaps in the literature owing to the contributions presented
earlier.
The next section of this article discusses the literature review of
the related studies. This is followed by a research model and the
hypotheses and methodology. Then, the results of the analysis
are presented in the fifth section, and this article concludes with
a discussion of the findings.
2. Research model and hypotheses
2.1. Continuance intention to use
Continuance intention refers to ‘‘the users’ intention to continue
using an IS after its initial acceptance’’ (Bhattacherjee, 2001). The
success of an information system depends on its continued use
rather than on its acceptance, because when individuals start using
an information system, psychological motivations, which affect
their continuance decisions, emerge (Bhattacherjee, 2001).
2.2. Attitude
Attitude is defined as ‘‘the degree to which a person has a favor-
able or unfavorable evaluation or appraisal of the behavior in ques-
tion’’ (Ajzen, 1991). Ajzen and Fishbein (1977) confirm the positive
effect of attitude on behavioral intention and then, many studies
examined its relationship with behavioral intention (Blanco et al.,
2010; Huang, 2008; Karaali et al., 2011). However, a previous study
by Oliver (1980) investigated the attitude’s effect on continuance
intention to use an IS. As he asserts, attitude directly affects contin-
uance intention. In the study by Ho (2010), it is found that users’
attitude toward the e-learning platform positively influences con-
tinuance intention of using the same platform. Since attitude is an
evaluation of experience related to the system, it is expected that
users with a positive attitude toward an information system will
more likely continue to use it. Lee (2010) also investigates the fac-
tors affecting continuance intention of e-learning systems. In his
study, it is also found that attitude is a predictor of continuance
 E. Basak, F. Calisir / Computers in Human Behavior 48 (2015) 181–189
intention. Positive attitude toward e-learning systems enables
individuals to have a stronger intention toward adopting it, and
they are more likely to continue to use it.
Therefore, we hypothesize as follows:
H1. Attitude has a positive effect on continuance intention.
2.3. Satisfaction
Satisfaction refers to ‘‘the summary psychological state result-
ing when the emotion surrounding disconfirmed expectations is
coupled with the consumer’s prior feelings about the consumption
experience’’ (Oliver, 1981). Satisfaction, which is a result
of the previous experience of users in IS use, plays a vital role in
IS continuance intention and creates long-term consumers
(Bhattacherjee, 2001). Oliver (1980) theorizes that satisfaction pos-
itively influences continuance intention in both direct and indirect
(through attitude) ways. In the study of Shi et al. (2010), the role of
satisfaction in the continuance of using Facebook has been con-
firmed and it has been shown that user satisfaction with previous
usage experience affects users’ continuance intention to use
Facebook. In the study of Ho (2010), the continuance intention of
an e-learning system is analyzed. He also asserts and supports that
satisfaction has an effect on both attitude and continuance inten-
tion. In the study of Lee (2010), satisfaction is found to be the
strongest predictor of continuance intention of using an e-learning
system. He asserts that the individuals’ experiences with the IT can
result in them being satisfied.
Therefore, we hypothesize as follows:
H2. Satisfaction has a positive effect on continuance intention.
H3. Satisfaction has a positive effect on attitude.
2.4. Entertainment
Entertainment can be defined as the extent to which the use of a
particular media is entertaining and exciting to its users (Eighmey
& Mccord, 1998). People spend relaxed time and have fun while
interacting with a particular media; thus, media entertainment ful-
fils the needs for enjoyment, pleasure, and fun through this inter-
action (Papacharissi & Rubin, 2000). Kim et al. (2011) assert that
the exchange of information, music or video clips, or experience
in the SNSs with online connections generates pleasure that is
Entertainment
H4
Self-
expression
H5
Satisfaction
H6
Information
seeking
H7
Status seeking
Fig. 1. The proposed research model.
183
derived as an entertainment motive. According to the study of
Sheldon (2008), individuals satisfy their entertainment needs by
seeing other people’s photographs, reading other people’s profile,
etc. Special and Li-Barber (2012) assert that users can be enter-
tained through Facebook in various ways; for example, surfing on
a friend’s page, seeing photos, or learning what their friends are
doing by reading through newsfeed on Facebook, etc. The more
entertained users are more likely to have a higher satisfaction level
of usage, because higher entertainment provides motivation for
users to use the media more often. If the needs for pleasure and
fun of the users are satisfied by Facebook, they will have favorable
feelings for using it.
Therefore, we hypothesize as follows:
H4. Entertainment has a positive effect on satisfaction.
2.5. Self-expression
Using Facebook is a way of creating an identity and expressing
it (Bumgarner, 2007), because Facebook profiles are being viewed
as the representation of the users themselves (Ellison, Steinfield,
& Lampe, 2007). Members of Facebook spend a lot of time for their
profiles that represent what kind of people they are; by this means,
Facebook provides an opportunity for users to tell others things
about themselves (Bumgarner, 2007). Dhaha and Igale (2013)
assert that individuals disclose about themselves on Facebook in
order to create a self-image of themselves. According to Special
and Li-Barber (2012), self-expression is related to users’ desire to
project an attractive self-image to other Facebook users and this
motive is linked to users’ satisfaction with Facebook. Valentine
(2011) also supports that the motive of self-expression is effective
in using Facebook.
Therefore, we hypothesize as follows:
H5. Self-expression has a positive effect on satisfaction.
2.6. Information seeking
Information seeking refers to the extent to which useful and
helpful information can be obtained from the media. Users may
surf on Facebook to gather information about the things that they
are interested in. They can acquire a vast amount of information in
an inexpensive way by viewing the posts that are shared by the
user whom they have befriended, groups that they join, or pages
which they follow. Previous studies show that the information
H2
Continuance
H3 Attitude H1
intention
184 E. Basak, F. Calisir / Computers in Human Behavior 48 (2015) 181–189

obtained from Facebook is perceived as resourceful and helpful by ceive their social connections as a useful information resource
users themselves (Dhaha & Igale, 2013; Park et al., 2009; Valentine, and acquire information which they share. Surfing on the SNSs is
2011). Kim et al. (2011) point out that the members of SNSs per- a way of learning new things, making a research, and collecting
useful information from the interactions with friends. Owing to
Facebook, users may find out more information about interesting
Table 1 things such as hot topics, new trends, interesting news via shared
Demographic profiles of the respondents. posts, and discussions on Facebook (Shi et al., 2010). Individuals
Age (years) may also acquire information through joining groups in Facebook.
Max: 52 Min: 18 Average: 25.12 Specific details and information related to products, services, or
Gender (%) other areas of interests are presented in the groups (Park et al.,
Female: 48.80 Male: 51.20 2009). Thus, users can learn things easily and quickly, as they are
Educational status (%) members of Facebook and once they figure out that they can col-
Undergraduate: 54.54 Graduate: 30.14 Non-student: 15.32 lect the information which they seek through Facebook, their sat-
Employment (%) isfaction will be higher.
Employed: 43.06 Unemployed: 56.94 Therefore, we hypothesize as follows:
Facebook membership (years)
Max: 10 Min: 0.5 Average: 5.66 H6. Information seeking has a positive effect on satisfaction.
Internet use in a day (h)
Max: 14 Min: 0.5 Average: 4.17
SNSs use in a day (h) 2.7. Status seeking
Max: 9 Min: 0.15 Average: 1.77
Facebook use in a day (h) Status seeking may be defined as ‘‘the degree to which sharing
Max: 5 Min: 0.1 Average: 1.25 information through SN Web sites is perceived to be effective in
Ways to access Facebook enhancing social status in one’s social group’’ (Li, 2011). Marlow
Via PC: 200 Via Smartphone: 179 Via: Tablet 65 (2006) asserts that status attainment is a powerful motivator for
individuals to participate in online environments (Lee & Ma,

Table 2
Construct, code, reference, and the items.

Construct Code Reference Items

Continuance CON01 Bhattacherjee (2001) I would use Facebook rather than other social network sites
intention CON02 Mathieson (1991) My intention would be to use Facebook rather than other social network sites
CON03 If I could, I would like to continue my usage
Satisfaction SAT01 Bhattacherjee (2001) My overall experience of using Facebook is very satisfied
SAT02 Spreng and Olshavsky My overall experience of using Facebook is very pleased
(1993)
SAT03a My overall experience of using Facebook is very frustrated
SAT04 My overall experience of using Facebook is very delighted
Attitude ATT01a Chen and Wells (1999) Facebook makes it easy for me to build a relationship with other users
ATT02 I may come to Facebook again in the future
ATT03 I’m satisfied with the service provided by Facebook
ATT04a I feel comfortable in surfing Facebook
ATT05a I feel surfing Facebook is a good way to spend my time
ATT06 Compared with other social network sites, I would rate this one as extremely good
Entertainment ENT01 Ducoffe (1996) I use Facebook because it is entertaining
ENT02 I use Facebook because it is enjoyable
ENT03a I use Facebook because it is pleasing
ENT04 I use Facebook because it is fun to use
ENT05a I use Facebook because it is exciting
Self-expression SLF01 Papacharissi (2002) I use Facebook to express myself freely
SLF02 Papacharissi and Rubin I use Facebook to give my input
(2000)
SLF03 I use Facebook to provide personal information about myself
SLF04 I use Facebook to tell others a little bit about myself
Information seeking INF01 Korgaonkar and Wolin I use Facebook because it gives quick and easy access to large amount of information
(1999)
INF02 I use Facebook because I learn a lot from using it
INF03a I use Facebook so I can learn about things happening in the world
INF04 I use Facebook because information obtained from it is useful
INF05 I use Facebook because it makes acquiring information inexpensive
Status seeking STA01 Flanagin and Metzger I feel important when I share things with others through Facebook
(2006)
a
STA02 Li (2011) I impress people when I share things with others through Facebook
STA03a Park et al. (2009) I use Facebook because I feel peer pressure to participate
STA04 I use Facebook because it makes myself look cool
STA05 Sharing things with others through Facebook makes me becoming a more valued member of my social
group
STA06 Sharing things with others through Facebook increases my popularity among them
a
Items are excluded.
 E. Basak, F. Calisir / Computers in Human Behavior 48 (2015) 181–189 185

2012), because knowledge sharing in online environments is a way
of gaining status and recognition; therefore, individuals are highly
motivated to share more information in order to increase their self-
esteem and popularity (Hew & Hara, 2007). The need of improving
self-confidence and self-esteem plays a role in users’ interactions
with social media platforms through comments, discussions, or
posts and this leads individuals to establish status within the com-
munity (Lee & Ma, 2012). Rafaeli and Ariel (2008) also point out
that the motive of building prestige among peers makes users to
continue to share in and contribute to virtual communities; in this
way, individuals may fulfil the needs of recognition among their
groups. In the study of Park et al. (2009), it is stated that individu-
als who seek status establishment are encouraged to use Facebook
for social outcomes via activities in Facebook groups, because they
feel peer pressure and are willing to look stylish and cool. There-
fore, since participation in social media helps individuals to
enhance their self-esteem and establish a status among peers,
the need of status attainment will be satisfied in this way.
Therefore, we hypothesize as follows:
H7. Status seeking has a positive effect on satisfaction.
The proposed research model can be seen in Fig. 1.
mation about age, gender, educational status, employment, Face-
book membership, Internet use in a day, social networking sites
use in a day, Facebook use in a day, and ways to access Facebook.
A total of 209 questionnaires were collected between December
2013 and April 2014 via online survey. Overall, 48.80% of respon-
dents were women, and the average age of the respondents was
25.12 years. Of the respondents, 54.54% and 30.14% were students
at the undergraduate level and graduate level, respectively. The
summary of demographic profiles of the participants is given in
Table 1.
The second part consisted of the items measuring continuance
intention (Bhattacherjee, 2001; Mathieson, 1991), attitude (Chen
& Wells, 1999), satisfaction (Bhattacherjee, 2001; Spreng &
Olshavsky, 1993), entertainment (Ducoffe, 1996), self-expression
(Papacharissi, 2002; Papacharissi & Rubin, 2000), information
seeking (Korgaonkar & Wolin, 1999), and status seeking (Flanagin
& Metzger, 2006; Li, 2011; Park et al., 2009). The items for the con-
structs can be seen in Table 2.
The items were modified to make them relevant to Facebook
use. A five-point Likert-type scale was used to measure the items.
In the five-point Likert-type scale, one represents ‘‘strongly dis-
agree’’ and five represents ‘‘strongly agree.’’

3. Methodology
4. Results
A survey methodology was used in this study to gather data.
The target population was the Facebook users. The data were analyzed using the Linear Structural Relations
The questionnaire was formed by two main parts. The first software LISREL, v8.80 (Jöreskog & Sörbom, 2006) with LISREL
part consisted of demographic questions designed to solicit infor- project.

Table 3
Confirmatory factor analysis.

Construct Item Mean Standard deviation Factor loadings t-Statistics

Continuance intention to use CON01 3.58 0.76 0.77
CON02 3.17 1.01 0.61 7.78
CON03 3.89 0.69 0.73 9.09
Attitude ATT02 2.54 1.10 0.64
ATT03 3.11 0.99 0.75 7.55
ATT06 3.26 0.99 0.67 7.18
Satisfaction SAT01 4.23 0.64 0.64
SAT02 3.89 0.71 0.87 7.55
SAT04 3.62 0.80 0.87 7.18
Entertainment ENT01 3.75 0.86 0.84 13.58
ENT02 3.86 0.65 0.64 9.65
ENT04 3.75 0.84 0.89 14.55
Self-expression SLF01 2.64 1.03 0.72 11.18
SLF02 2.89 1.06 0.78 12.43
SLF03 2.76 1.07 0.78 12.48
SLF04 2.63 0.99 0.70 10.79
Information-seeking INF01 3.60 0.96 0.72 11.11
INF02 3.00 1.05 0.83 13.24
INF04 3.22 0.91 0.72 10.99
INF05 3.47 1.03 0.65 9.75
Status-seeking STA01 1.88 0.92 0.76 12.35
STA04 1.77 0.92 0.70 11.13
STA05 2.06 1.01 0.85 14.66
STA06 2.12 0.99 0.85 14.67

Average variance extracted (AVE) Composite reliability (CR) Cronbach’s alpha

Continuance intention to use 0.50 0.75 0.73
Attitude 0.47 0.73 0.71
Satisfaction 0.64 0.84 0.82
Entertainment 0.63 0.84 0.83
Self-expression 0.58 0.88 0.83
Information-seeking 0.58 0.87 0.82
Status-seeking 0.60 0.89 0.87
186 E. Basak, F. Calisir / Computers in Human Behavior 48 (2015) 181–189

4.1. Testing the validity and reliability of constructs
Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to test the validity
and reliability of the constructs. The research model included 36
items describing 7 constructs: continuance intention to use
(CON), attitude (ATT), satisfaction (SAT), entertainment (ENT),
self-expression (SLF), information seeking (INF), and status seeking
(STA). Initial analysis shows the requirement of revision on con-
structs. The decision to re-specify the construct is given based on
the items’ factor loadings and standard v2 differences for the com-
peting models as long as theory and content allowed for changes
(Anderson & Gerbing, 1988). The items whose factor loadings were
lower than 0.60 and the items with excessive standard errors were
dropped from the model. A total of 9 items were dropped from the
research model, and 27 items were retained for further analysis.
The items in Table 2 without an asterisk were used for further anal-
ysis. All of the remaining items have significant t-statistics
(p < 0.01) and their factor loadings are above 0.60.
Confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate the conver-
gent validity of latent variables. Convergent validity refers to the
extent to which two or more items measure the same construct
(Bagozzi & Phillips, 1982). The convergent validity of the items
was examined by the factor loadings, average variance extracted
(AVE), and composite reliability (CR). The factor loadings of all
remaining items in the research model are greater than 0.60, indi-
cating that all items exceed the recommended factor loading value
(Hair, Anderson, Tatham, & Black, 1998). The AVE measures the
shared variance in a latent variable and gives information about
convergence of measurement items. All items except attitude
Table 4
Fit indices of research model.
Fit index Recommended value
v2/df (v2; df) 62
RMSEA 60.10
CFI P0.90
IFI P0.90
GFI P0.90
AGFI P0.80
NFI P0.90
NNFI P0.90
SRMR 60.08
exceed the 0.50 threshold (Fornell & Larcker, 1981); however, since
the AVE value of attitude (0.47) is close enough to 0.50, we per-
ceive that there is an acceptable convergence among the items of
attitude. Composite reliability measures the internal consistency
of the measurement model, and all the composite reliabilities meet
the minimum required level of 0.70 (Fornell & Larcker, 1981).
Cronbach’s alpha is used to measure internal consistency in each
construct and 0.70 is accepted as a lower limit for the Cronbach’s
alpha (Hair et al., 1998). In this study, all values of Cronbach’s
alpha exceed the 0.70 threshold, suggesting that each factor has
a good internal consistency. Thus, all these statistics demonstrated
the convergent validity of the measurement model. The summary
of convergent validity measurements is given in Table 3.
4.2. Testing the hypotheses
The relationships between the constructs are shown, and the
constructs that are related to each other are specified in the struc-
tural model (Hair et al., 1998). As shown in Table 4, all the fit indi-
ces (v2, RMSEA = Root Mean Squared Error of Approximation,
CFI = Comparative Fit Index, IFI = Incremental Fit Index,
GFI = Goodness of Fit Index, AGFI = Adjusted Goodness of Fit
Index, NFI = Normed Fit Index, Non-normed Fit Index = NNFI,
SRMR = Standardized Root Mean Squared Residual) except GFI
are within the recommended values (Hair et al., 1998; Kelloway,
1998; Roca, Chiu, & Martínez, 2006; Schermelleh-Engel,
Moosbrugger, & Müller, 2003). However, the value of GFI below
0.90 may also suggest that the model provides an appropriate fit
to the data. According to Cohen (1992), a minimum value of 0.80
can be accepted as a reasonably good fit with regard to ‘‘the status
of the theory, the adequacy of the measures, and the representa-
tiveness of the sample’’ (Oivo & Komi-Sirviö, 2002).
The value of R2 indicates that the percentage of total variance of
Observed value
the dependent variable explained by independent variables. This
1.92 (460; 239) implies that our research model explains the 62% (R2 = 0.62) of
0.067
total variance of continuance intention to use Facebook, 14%
0.95
0.95 (R2 = 0.14) of total variance of attitude, and 35% (R2 = 0.35) of total
0.84 variance of satisfaction. In addition, all hypotheses except H5 and
0.80 H6 are supported in a significance level of p < 0.01. Fig. 2 shows
0.90 the standardized path coefficients with their respective signifi-
0.94
0.08
cance levels and the explanatory power of the model for dependent
variables.

Entertainment

0.33*
Self-
expression 0.35*
Continuance
Satisfaction Attitude
0.37* 0.59* intention
(R2 = 0.35) (R2 = 0.14)
(R2 = 0.62)
Information
seeking
0.35*

Status
seeking

*: p<0.01
-----: insignificant relationship

Fig. 2. The results of the research model.

 E. Basak, F. Calisir / Computers in Human Behavior 48 (2015) 181–189
Table 5
Direct, indirect and total effects on intention to use PDA.
Dependent variable Independent Direct Indirect
variables effects effects
Continuance intention to Attitude 0.59* – 0.59*
use Facebook Satisfaction 0.35* 0.22*
Entertainment – 0.19*
Self- – Insig.
expression
Information – Insig.
seeking
Status seeking – 0.20*
Insig.: insignificant relationship.
*
p < 0.01.
The results show that attitude and satisfaction are found to be
significant determinants of continuance intention to use Facebook.
However, their standardized estimates are different from each
other so that their relative strengths on continuance intention to
use are not the same. Compared with satisfaction, attitude is found
to be a stronger determinant of continuance intention to use
Facebook. The other result indicates that attitude is explained by
satisfaction. In addition, entertainment and status seeking are
found to have positive effects on satisfaction, whereas the effects
of self-expression and information seeking are found to be
insignificant.
Table 5 shows the direct, indirect, and total effects of each con-
struct on the continuance intention to use Facebook. As shown in
Table 5, attitude has the highest direct and total effect on continu-
ance intention to use Facebook. Entertainment and status seeking
have an indirect positive significant effect on continuance inten-
tion to use Facebook. Further, in addition to the direct effect of sat-
isfaction on intention to use the system, satisfaction has an indirect
effect on continuance intention to use Facebook through attitude.
5. Discussion and conclusion
This study examines the influence of attitude, satisfaction,
entertainment, self-expression, information seeking, and status
seeking on continuance intention of using Facebook in Turkey. A
total of 209 questionnaires were collected from Facebook users
in Turkey between December 2013 and April 2014. Structural
Equation Modeling is used to analyze the relationships defined in
the proposed research model. Furthermore, among seven hypothe-
ses, five of them were supported by the data collected from the
Facebook users in Turkey.
The explanation rate of continuance intention of Facebook,
which is 0.62, is relatively high in this study compared with the
other studies in the literature (Chen et al., 2012; Chiu et al.,
2005; Kim, 2011; Zhao & Lu, 2012). First, the results contribute
to the literature of IS continuance by showing that attitude and sat-
isfaction are the most important factors affecting the decision of
continuing to use Facebook. Out of these two factors, attitude has
a higher direct influence on continuance intention to use Facebook.
If users have favorable feelings toward Facebook, they will be moti-
vated to continue using that Web site.
Second, result of this study is that attitude is explained by sat-
isfaction. Therefore, satisfaction about Facebook usage may
enhance the perception about Facebook and accordingly, individu-
als’ continuance usage of Facebook is expected.
Third, this study also contributes to the literature introducing
external variables into the models. Entertainment and status seek-
ing are found to be the antecedents of satisfaction. Out of these two
factors, status seeking has a higher direct impact on satisfaction. If
187
the gratification of status seeking is met by Facebook, an individual
will more likely be satisfied.
Total However, the study of Shi et al. (2010) showed that entertain-
effects ment is the most influential factor on satisfaction. This difference
may be explained by the great variety of principal motives for
0.57* using Facebook.
0.19* Furthermore, status seeking and entertainment have an indirect
Insig.
effect on continuance intention to use Facebook through satisfac-
Insig. tion and attitude. It may be concluded that satisfied users will be
more likely to continue using Facebook if they perceive a better
0.20* experience when seeking status and entertainment. Individuals
may use Facebook to be recognized and have reputation among
their peers by sharing posts, photos, or news. Therefore, their ulti-
mate goal is to enhance their own self-esteem by portraying their
lives. Similar to status seeking, entertainment motivates individu-
als to continue to use Facebook for fun purposes. Thus, it may be
interpreted that users are interested in having a pleasurable time
while using Facebook.
Moreover, it is found that self-expression and information seek-
ing have insignificant effects on continuance intention to use Face-
book through satisfaction and attitude. It may be interpreted that
individuals do not use Facebook to represent what kind of people
they are, because Facebook profiles provide personal information
about users’ themselves and users are able to tell other people
about themselves via Facebook profiles. Individuals may also not
be concerned with the information obtained from Facebook,
because they may have other information channels that provide
more useful and true information. Therefore, self-expression and
information seeking do not play a role in the continuance intention
of using Facebook. In contrast to our findings, Shi et al. (2010) have
found that information-seeking is not significantly related to satis-
faction. This finding, which differs from that of our study, may be
explained by cultural differences between Turkey and Hong Kong.
In addition, since this study shows the importance of motiva-
tional factors for continuing to use Facebook, the findings may also
be shared with practitioners for its implications. The effect of sta-
tus seeking and entertainment should be taken into consideration
for user satisfaction. Facebook users will be more likely to continue
using Facebook as long as they fulfil their needs related to enter-
tainment and status seeking. Therefore, Facebook designers should
provide more opportunities to their users to have more fun, to
enjoy time on Facebook, and to engage in activities to attain status
among their peers. The company should also make revisions and
define strategies to increase user satisfaction that will eventually
lead to an increase in the continuance intention of using Facebook.
The findings of this study provide a better understanding of the
factors affecting the continuance intention to use Facebook, but we
should also consider their several limitations. First, 62% of contin-
uance intention to use, 14% of attitude, and 35% satisfaction are
explained in the model. Thus, a considerable percentage of the
variables remains unexplained, suggesting the need for a future
study to explain user behaviors. Therefore, some additional factors
such as passing time (Sheldon, 2008), escapism (Papacharissi &
Mendelson, 2010), and social interaction (Park et al., 2009) that
may be important in explaining the continuance intention to use
Facebook can be included in a model of further studies.
Second, the effects on demographic attributes were not ana-
lyzed in this study. A similar study including demographic charac-
teristics, such as the extent of computer and Internet use,
experience, age, and gender of the respondents, may be a subject
for future research.
Third, by increasing the size of the data collected, group differ-
ences among students and non-students, employees and non-
employees, and also different age groups may be analyzed as a fur-
ther study.
188 E. Basak, F. Calisir / Computers in Human Behavior 48 (2015) 181–189

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