This research investigates the development of bridging and bonding social capital within interest-based networks, a largely unexplored area. A survey of Douban.com users (N=624) examined the relationship between online interactions (with content and humans), social capital, and sense of belonging. The findings reveal a model where online interactions predict bridging social capital, which in turn predicts bonding social capital. Both types of social capital contribute to a sense of belonging. The study advances social capital theory and offers practical implications for interest-based network design.

Meng Chen, Wu Li