Virtual Relationships Flashcards
What are the two theories of virtual relationships
- reduced cues theory
- hyperpersonal model
What is the reduced cues theory ?
Sproull and Kiesler (86) suggested CMC r/ships are less effective than FtF ones because they lack the cues we normally depend on FtF. E.g non-verbal cues like appearance. CMC lack cues to our emotions e.g facial expressions and tone of voice. Lack of these cues can lead to de- individualisation as it reduces people’s sense of individual identity, which encourages disinhibition in relating to others. Virtual relationships are more likely to involve blunt, aggressive communication. This leads reluctance to disclose and reveal any meaning information about yourself. You aren’t likely to want to initiate a relationship with someone who is impersonal
What is the hyperpersonal model?
Walther argues that online r/ships can be more personal and involve greater disclosure that FTF. This is because CMC r/ships can develop quickly as disclose happens earlier and once established they are more intense and intimate. They can always end more quickly bc of the high excitement levels of interaction is not matched by levels of trust. Cooper and Sportolari (97) called this the boom and bust phenomenon. a key feature of self-disclosure in virtual relationships is that the sender off a message has more time to manipulate their online image than they would in an FtF situation. Walther calls this selective self-presentation.
evaluations for self disclosure in virtual relationships
- Research support - Whitty and Joinson
- Practical applications - can help vulnerable groups control their self disclosure
- Cultural differences - Yim and Hara
- R/ships are multimodal - they exist online + irl - Walther
- Self disclosing to a stranger is not new - Rubin - Stranger on a train
What is meant by the absense of gating online and how does it affect r/ships
A Gate is any obstacle to the formation of a R/ship. FtF interaction is said to be gated because it involves many features that can interfere with the early development of a R/ship e.g. physical unattractiveness. McKenna and Bargh (99) argue absence of gating is a huge advantage of CMC. The relationship can develop to a point where self-disclosure becomes more frequent and deeper. This absence allows CMC to ‘get off the ground’ in a way that is less likely to happen for FtF. Absence of gating works by refocussing attention on self-disclosure and away from what one might be considered superficial and distracting features.
evaluations for the absense of gating in virtual relationships
- Research evidence to support - McKenna
- no evidence to show if any age or sex differences exist - something evolutionary theory would exist
- effect of lowered gates suggests filter theory does no longer apply
- non-verbal cues are not entirely missing
