Topic 4- Virtual relationships in social media Flashcards
What is paralanguage?
An important way for us to ascertain truth and emotional meaning.
Two major contrasting theories
1) Reduced Cues theory
2) Hyper personal model
What is the reduced cues theory?
1) Sproull and Kiesler –> Proposes that we are less likely to self-disclose personal information in a computer mediated communication.
2) People online are likely to be more disinhibited due to an increased deindividuation caused by the inability to acess cues which many FtF interactions rely upon such as facial expressions
3) This means people in online communications are likely to be aggressive and rude in response to any personal disclosure made.
What is the hyper personal model?
Walther –> Argues that CmC relationships encourage self-disclosure much earlier than FtF interactions –> Once established they are intense and intimate –> Self presentation means that the lack of cues serves to increase the speed and intensity o–> people portray themselves in the best positive light.
–> Makes them less accountable for their actions and therefore less inhibited, making disclosure much more likely
Absence of Gating
1) Gate in this context, is any obstacle to the formation of a relationship. FtF is said to be gated because it involves many features that can interfere with the early development of a relationship.
2) Mckenna and Bargh –> Huge advantage is that the relationship can develop to a point where self-disclosure becomes more frequent and deeper.
3) Absence of gating allows an online relationship to ‘get off the ground’ in a way that is less likely to happen in an FtF situation.
4) These gates can remain hidden and this allows self disclosure and intimacy to develop –> The gate may be revealed but because of the self disclosure it wouldn’t matter as much.
Evaluation 1: Lack of research support for the Reduced Cues theory
Walther and Tidwel –> People in online interaction use other cues such as the styles and the timing of the message.
For e.g taking the time to reply to an online message is interpreted as much of an intimate act rather than immediate response.
Evaluation 2: Research support for the hyperpersonal model
Hyperpersonal model predicts that people are motivated to self disclose in CMC in ways in which are sometimes ‘hyperhonest’ and sometimes hyperdishonest
–>Whitty and Joinson have evidence for this and found when researching a number of online discussions they found that the questions tended to be very direct, probing and sometimes intimate. –> Sugests that online relationships disclose more personal information about themselves.
Evaluation 3: Support for the Absence of Gating
1) McKenna and Bargh looked at CMC use by lonely and socially anxious people. –> They found that such people were to express their ‘true selves’ more than in FtF situations.
2) Of the romantic relationships that initially formed online 70% survived more than 2 years, higher than for relationships formed in offline world.
- -> Suggests that gating is an important factor
