The first method that will be used for this triangulation study will be a survey designed to look at the overall superstructure that defines this online social network. This survey will be designed to observe the individual habits of first-year students with regards to their Facebook usage and the individual’s perception of status and self-worth within the mediated university environment. Coping strategies engaged by students in both real life and the online social network will be explored. More importantly, the survey will look at the individual’s relationship with their resident assistant (RA). RAs represent a vital link between the student and the administration of the university. The RAs are expected to fulfill many roles in the student’s life. They are advisors in the affairs of students, the de facto parent of the student, policing students for infractions of collegiate rules and the role model set in front of those living in the dorms by the administration (Deluga & Masson, 2000). The analysis of the relationship between the student and their RA is necessary for this survey as the RA represents the “bottom-up” method of coping described in the previous coping research (Lazarus, 1998; Hayes et al., 2006; Crockett et al., 2007). Therefore, it is important to get a “baseline” reaction to the student’s relationship to their RA. Once this baseline is determined, this measurement can be used to factor the RA’s ability to help students cope. This survey will be analyzed based on all of the themes and factors previously listed in this paragraph and will be crucial in the development and the “fleshing out” of the interview protocol.
