Unit 5 - Section 1 - Privacy Flashcards
Alan Westin’s Theory of Privacy
Privacy has 4 factors:
- Solitude - being alone
- Intimacy - group privacy, such as when lovers want to be alone
- Anonymity - When a person wants to be alone among others but does not want to be identified or to interact
- Reserve - creation of a psychological barrier against intrusion
Define privacy
- Selective control of access to the self or to one’s group
- Management of information about oneself and the management of social interaction
What are 2 kinds of somewhat unfriendly privacy in neighbourhoods?
- Seclusion - can’t see anyone around your property
2. Not neighbouring - don’t want to talk to or know the neighbours
What are the 2 groups with whom we can have special forms of intimacy?
- Intimacy with friends
2. Intimacy with family
What is the difference between isolation and solitude?
- Isolation means solitude with no one else nearby
- Solitude means being alone in the midst of others
What factors are included in a “sense of freedom”?
- Individual cognitive freedom - to do as you please
2. Social cognitive freedom - freedom from the expectations of others
How does our residential history influence our need for privacy?
- People who grew up in crowded houses preferred anonymity and reserve as adults
- Those who spend time in cities prefer anonymity and intimacy
- Wanderers prefer less intimacy
How does gender influence one’s need for privacy?
Dormitory Studies:
- Males reported a greater desire for privacy than females
- Men assigned to 2 person rooms increased their preference for all forms of privacy
- Men assigned to 3 person rooms actually decreased their preference for solitude, but their preference for other forms of privacy were unchanged
- Men in 3 person rooms stayed away from their residences more
- Women did not show changes in preference for privacy when they were assigned to 2 person versus 3 person rooms
- Women may enjoy the company of others more and, when asked to live in higher-density situations, may have learned a more extensive repertoire of privacy-regulating mechanisms
- Women told roommates more about interpersonal matters than men did, and friendship among women is more closely tied to intimate disclosure
How does one’s personality influence the need for privacy?
- Persons with higher needs for privacy felt less confident and more anxious
- Individuals who feel they do not have enough privacy are more distractible
- People who are more reserved and seek more solitude and anonymity tend to have lower self-esteem
- Introspective individuals are more likely to be reserved and less likely to seek intimacy with their families
How do different social situations influence the need for privacy?
- Desire for privacy varies with social setting
- Management of personal information is affected by the social situation
- Which organizations collect information on you?
Under what circumstances do people believe that their private information has been invaded?
If information:
- Concerns their personality rather than performance
- Was obtained without permission
- Was disclosed to outsiders
- Had negative effects for them
- Seemed irrelevant for the purpose requested