Marijana Veselinović

The present study explored how emerging adults experience their social media engagement and how these experiences may be relevant to narrative identity development from the perspective of McLean et al.’s (2007) process model of narrative identity development. Individual semi-structured interviews with 27 emerging adults (19 females, 8 males) were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Three themes were developed. The theme Social media as a socially responsive context for self-expression captures perceptions of social media as a context for self-expression, exchange of perspectives, and meaningful interpersonal connections. The theme Selective online self-presentation captures perceptions of social media self-presentation as selective and providing a partial, potentially misleading, representation of a person. The theme Curating the social media profile through reflection on past and present selves describes tension between preserving personally significant memories on social media profiles and removing content that no longer represents how one currently sees oneself. Taken together, the themes suggest that social media represent a distinctive context for situated storytelling in which self-representations are socially negotiated, selectively constructed, and retrospectively curated. The affordances of this context may shape these storytelling processes and autobiographical reasoning, potentially contributing to a greater emphasis on thematic coherence than on temporal and causal coherence.

Narcissism has been consistently linked to self-regulatory processes involving impression managementand self-enhancement. Therefore we explore the prediction of false self-presentation on social network sitesthrough narcissism, and also when basic personality traits of BIG Five model are included as a mediators in thoserelationship.The present study examined the relationship between narcissism, as measured by the narcissism subscale of theDark Triad Dirty Dozen (DDTD, Dinid et al., 2018), and the presentation of false self on social networks sites (POFSon SNS), assessed using the adapted version of the False Facebook-self questionnaire (Gil-Or et al., 2015) . As amediator we used consciousness measured by BFI-20 (Tucakovid, Nedeljkovid, 2025).Using a cross-sectional design with a non-clinical youth sample (N = 1212, 54% female), mean age of M=17.86, SD=2,64, age in range from 14 to 31, correlational and regression analyses were conducted to evaluatewhether narcissistic traits predict higher levels of POFS on SNS. Results indicated a significant positive associationbetween narcissism and presentation of false self on SNS, suggesting that individuals high in narcissism are morelikely to engage in self-presentation strategies that mask their authentic self. Then we explored wheather theconsciousness play moderative role in relation between narcissism and POFSon SNS. Results didn’t show anysignificance. Then we explored mediative role in relation between narcissism and presentation of false self on SNS.Direct negative effect of narcissism was confirmed (β = −.23, p < .001). Conscioussness negative effect on POFS onSNS was confirmed (β = −.18, p < .001). Total effect of narcissism remained significant (β = .28, p < .001), and directeffect of narcissism in predicton of POFS on SNS remained significant even after introducing the mediatorconscioussness (β = .24, p < .001). Bootstrapping analysis (5000 samples) confirmed significance of the indirecteffect of counscioussness (β = .04, 95% CI [.03, .06]), indicating the partial mediation.These findings contribute to the understanding of narcissism as a personality trait characterized bystrategic self-construction and have implications for interpersonal functioning and psychological well-being.

This study aimed to develop and validate a digital skills self-assessment tool for Serbian youth (DSATy), based on the Digital Competence Framework (DigComp). Following scale development procedures, an initial set of 54 constructed items was refined to 45 after piloting and cognitive interviews with students. In a cross-sectional survey, the questionnaire was completed by 914 secondary school and undergraduate students. Subsequently, the sample was divided into two balanced subsamples by gender and educational level: an index sample ( n = 452) for exploratory factor analysis and a reserve sample ( n = 462) for confirmatory factor analysis. The analyses revealed a valid and reliable seven-factor structure with 33 items, integrating four practical/technical skills (Managing Data and Collaboration, Content Creation, Device Protection, Problem Solving) and three cognitive digital skills (Evaluating Information and Content, Critical Knowledge for Online Communication, Health and Environmental Protection). This sophisticated structure of practical and cognitive digital skills was confirmed through a second-order model and measurement invariance testing across gender and educational level. Validated and reliable, DSATy fills the existing gap in Serbia for the target population by providing policymakers and educational institutions with a tool for comprehensive assessment, monitoring, and promotion of digital skills to enhance learning outcomes and prepare students for active, safe, and responsible participation in the digital society. Grounded in the European DigComp framework, DSATy also offers opportunities for future cross-cultural validation.

The five-dimensional dual-cycle model of identity formation has been widely used in research. However, it has not been investigated whether identity processes, as described by this model, are general across various domains or domain-specific.The main objective of this study was to address this gap in knowledge by exploring whether identity processes, as described by the model, are general or specific across the domains of future goals related to education and friendship. Further objectives included testing the five-dimensional dual-cycle model among young people in Serbia and deriving identity statuses based on the identity processes in these two domains. Two adapted versions of the Dimensions of Identity Development Scale (DIDS) were created: one for future goals related to education and another for future goals related to friendship. The sample consisted of 955 high school and university students. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed a domain-specific identity processes model, which included the five original factors of the DIDS. Configural, metric, and scalar invariance across gender were established. Cluster analysis identified six identity statuses: troubled diffusion, carefree diffusion, foreclosure, ruminative moratorium, achievement, and a cluster representing a combination of educational foreclosure and friendship carefree diffusion. The findings suggest that identity processes, according to the five-dimensional dual-cycle model, are domain-specific. However, identity statuses across the domains of future goals related to education and friendship are congruent for the majority of individuals. These results highlight the importance of exploring both domain-specific and shared factors in identity development in future research.

The aim of this study was to examine whether the Dark Triad and boredom are significant predictorsof perfectionism in students. Previous studies, describing perfectionism as a desire for perfection, have linkedit to narcissism. This study explores this connection in more depth by introducing, instead of just narcissism,other aspects of the Dark Triad, Machiavellianism, psychopathy and boredom. The sample consisted of 101students of both sexes (F=58%, X²(1)=2.919, p>.001) with an average age of M=22.63 (SD=1.86), ranging from19 to 31. The Big Three Perfectionisms, the Dark Triad Questionnaire, the Multidimensional Boredom Scaleand the UCLA-20 Loneliness Scale were used in the study. During the administration of this battery of tests, allrespondents were also given a socio-demographic data questionnaire that was specially constructed for theneeds of this study. Multiple regression analysis and mediation analysis were used for the analysis.The results showed that Machiavellianism and boredom are mediators in the relationship betweenperfectionism, narcissism and psychopathy. There is a direct significant association between narcissism(z=4.769, p<.001) and psychopathy (z=3.383, p<.001) and perfectionism, but it becomes insignificant whenMachiavellianism and boredom are introduced into this model (z=.634, p=526, z=.632, p=527).

In this paper, we will explore the possibilities of analyzing visual content on social media. Specifically, we are interested in whether Goffman's theory can be applied to the analysis of Instagram. The intention is to investigate how and in what ways the key concepts of Goffman's theory can be "translated" in order to gain new insights. Concepts such as region, team, and role distance. Such an attempt opens up new possibilities in the analysis of social media, but at the same time presents new challenges. The main challenge lies in the way and possibilities of articulating Goffman's dramaturgical model outside the context of face-to-face interaction. The act of comparison requires finding new ways to utilize the theoretical "tools" that Goffman has left us as a legacy. On the one hand, there is the danger of oversimplifying his theory, reducing it to mere analogies without any "added value." On the other hand, there is the risk of denying the significance of the new and different context of its application. Our reconsideration of the possible applications of Goffman's theory has been encouraged by a specific research task, namely the project 'Youth Identity Development Through the Use of Digital Media', supported by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia. The project is led by the University of Belgrade - Faculty of Special Education and Rehabilitation. Part of the project is the content analysis of Instagram profiles of high school and university students. The project also includes other research methods: a survey (with the largest number of participants) and a focus group interview. However, these parts (of the research) will not be the focus of this paper. The aim of this paper is to outline the theoretical foundations for the potential analysis of empirical material collected for the purpose of content analysis.