CouchSurfing: Belonging and trust in a globally cooperative online social network

Engagement activities in an online resource exchange community exploring elements such as sense of belonging, connectedness, and trust confirmed that members who have not met face-to-face with other members have a lower sense of belonged to the community than those who have.

Abstract

The current study investigates engagement activities in an online resource exchange community exploring elements such as sense of belonging, connectedness, and trust. CouchSurfing.com is an online cultural exchange community in which members from around the globe coordinate travel accommodations and organize gatherings with fellow members via a social media platform. Findings confirmed that members who have not met face-to-face with other members have a lower sense of belonging to the community than those who have. Increased attendance to gatherings was positively related to sense of belonging to the community, and hosting had a positive relationship with trust in the community. Additionally, CouchSurfers reported that they preferred to be contacted through personal e-mails rather then group e-mails, while those who reported an increased participation in gatherings found group e-mails to be useful.