Date of Conferral

2-9-2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Scott Friedman

Abstract

Social media platforms have become significant contexts for informal learning among adults, offering access to information and peer exchange outside of formal educational settings. These platforms are also emotionally complex environments in which stress and emotion regulation may shape learning outcomes. The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental study was to examine the relationship between social media use and informal learning in adults, with perceived stress and emotion regulation examined as moderating variables. Secondary data from the Stress in America: The State of Our Nation, 2007–2018 surveys were analyzed, using binary logistic regression with moderation while controlling for age, gender, and education. Guided by Gross’s Process Model of Emotion Regulation, the study tested whether stress and emotion regulation altered the strength of the association between social media use and informal learning behaviors. Results indicated that social media use was positively associated with informal learning. Higher levels of perceived stress weakened this relationship, whereas stronger emotion regulation enhanced it. When examined jointly, stress and emotion regulation further clarified conditions under which social media functioned as a resource for learning versus a barrier. These findings extend emotion regulation theory into adult digital learning contexts and highlight the importance of psychological processes in understanding informal learning through social media.

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