relationships-virtual relationships

Question 1

describe self-disclosure in virtual relationships

Answer 1

online relationships involve greater self-disclosure
-this may be due to the relative anonymity in virtual relationships.
-in FtF relationships self-disclosure is inhibited this may be because of fear that the information will be shared with other within there social circle however, this is less likely in virtual relationships as you dont share a social circle.
-it also easier to manipulate the information you self-disclose as you have time to manipulate that image.

Question 2

elaborate on reduced cues theory as a part of self-disclosure

Answer 2

Virtual relationships are less effective than ftf as theres a lack of behavioural signs such as body language which usually help guide FtF relationships.
-this leads to deinidividualisation as someone can hide behind a computer name.
this then encourages disinhibition which can lead to agressive or hyper-extreme language.

Question 3

what are 2 positives of self-disclosure

Answer 3

whitty and joinson-self-disclosure is more direct, intimate and ‘nosy’ than in FtF interactions
schouten-people high in social anxiety revealed greater self-disclosure in virtual relationships due to the absence of non-verbal cues.

Question 4

what are some weaknesses of self-disclosure

Answer 4

-reduced cues theory isnt entirely valid as we have internet cues eg-emojis, time taken to respond to messages.

Question 5

explain the absence of gating in virtual relationships

Answer 5

-gate is a obtacle or barrier which prevents an individual from forming a relationship.
eg-shyness, physical appearance

Question 6

how does the absence of gating help relationships form

Answer 6

attention is focussed on self-disclosure and getting to know the person rather than being focussed on superficial features eg-relationships

Question 7

what is some supporting evidence for the absence of gating explanation

Answer 7

-mckenna and bargh
-baker and oswald

Question 8

what did mckenna and bargh find

Answer 8

looked at computer mediated communication used by socially anxious people and found that they found that such people were better able to express themselves then in FtF situations.

Question 9

what did baker and Oswald find

Answer 9

surveyed 207 female students and found that for students high in social anxiety greater use of Facebook was associated with higher perceptions of friendship quality. This association wasn’t found for those low in shyness.

Question 10

what is a parasocial relationship

Answer 10

where one individual is attracted to another individual but the target individual is usually unaware of the existance of the person who created the relationship

Question 11

what are the 3 levels of parasocial relationship

Answer 11

1. entertainment social
2. intense-personal
3. borderline-pathological

Question 12

describe entertainment social

Answer 12

fans are attracted to a celebrity because they find them entertaining. They become a source of of social interaction and gossip

Question 13

describe intense-personal

Answer 13

this reflects intense and compulsive feeling about the celebrity

Question 14

describe borderline-pathological

Answer 14

characterised by uncontrollable behaviour and fantasies about the celebrities. they may believe they are in a real relationship with the celebrity which may lead to stalking behaviours

Question 15

describe the absorption addiction model

Answer 15

absorption-individual become consumed with the relationship and fully focus there attention on the celebrity
addiction-the person has an increasing dependance for the celebrity which may lead the addicted person to take extreme measured

Question 16

what type of view does this model take

Answer 16

a pathological view. It suggest the individual is trying to seek fufillment that they cant find in there actual relationship.

Question 17

what is some supporting evidence for parasocial relationships

Answer 17

greenwood and long
maltby

Question 18

what did greenwood and long find

Answer 18

Greenwood & Long an intense-personal relationship with TV characters reflects a deep psychological need for companionship and a sense of belonging
suggests that people in parasocial relationships lack fulfilment
-correlation so cant establish cause and effect

Question 19

what did maltby find

Answer 19

Psychological research offers some support for absorption-addiction model. Maltby et al. (2005) measured the relation between celebrity worship and body image in teenagers. They found that teenage girls who were at the intense-personal level of celebrity worship tended to have a poor body image, especially if they particularly admired a celebrity’s physical appearance.

Question 20

what are some negatives of the absorption-addiction model

Answer 20

more of a description rather than an explanation of parasocial relationships

Question 21

what does the attachment theory of relationships state

Answer 21

those who had an insecure-resistant relationship as children were more likely to form parasocial relationships with those with insecure-avoidant individuals being least likely.

Question 22

what is some supporting evidence for attachment theory

Answer 22

ashe and mcCutcheon
mcCutcheon

Question 23

what did asche and McCutcheon find

Answer 23

parasocial relationship may be appealing because its not a real relationship so the fan doesnt face criticism or rejection

Question 24

what did mcCutcheon find

Answer 24

measured childhood attachment types and those who formed insecure attachments were more likely to condone celebrity stalking
however further research from him found no direct relationship between the type of attachment and the likelihood that a parasocial relationship will be formed.