virtual relationships

Question 1

Which argument says that virtual relationships DECREASES self disclosure?

Answer 1

Reduced cues theory

Question 2

What are the cues in reduced cues theory?
Are there more or less in virtual relationships?
What does this lead to? (3)
(reduced cues theory)

Answer 2

Prompts on how to respond e.g. facial expressions
Less
Deindividuation (losing sense of identity)
Disinhibition (feeling free from the constraints of social norms)
Blunt and aggressive>convo dies>SD stops

Question 3

Which 2 arguments say that virtual relationships INCREASES self disclosure?

Answer 3

Hyper personal model
Absence of gating (alternative explanation, evaluation!)

Question 4

Why do we SD quicker in virtual relationships?
What does this lead to?
(hyper-personal model)

Answer 4

Higher intensity and intimacy
Individuals can be hyperhonest and hyperdishonest as messages have more time to manipulate response to present themselves in better light

Question 5

What is the strangers on a train effect?
(hyper-personal model)

Answer 5

We are more likely to SD with a stranger because we are likely to never see them again
Anonymity>SD

Question 6

A weakness of the reduced cues theory is that there’s contradictory evidence
PET

Answer 6

Cues are not completely absence from virtual relationships e.g. emojis, punctuation, acronyms

Question 6

What is a gate?
Are gates absence in virtual relationships?
What does this allow?
What is a danger of the absence of gatings?

Answer 6

Any obstacle to face2face relationships e.g. shyness
Yes, letting those who struggle to develop a relationship f2f, develop one>shy person can become outgoing and extravert
Catfishing

Question 7

A strength of the absence of gating is that there’s research support
PET

Answer 7

Psychologists studied the relationships of shy and socially anxious people
71% of romantic relationships formed online survived more than 2 years
49% of relationships f2f

Question 8

One strength of reduced cues theory is that there’s research support
PETC

Answer 8

E: Psychologists compared the frequency, breadth and depth of SD in f2f and virtual relationships
Found that all 3 aspects were higher in f2f
T: supports reduced cues and *contradicts hyper personal and absence of gating
C: Study relied on self-report measures>social desirability>decrease validity

Question 9

A weakness of all 3 theories is that they are culturally biased
PETF

Answer 9

Not all cultures have equal access to technology and SD in the same way
Research is mainly based on Western, technologically developed cultures
Theories cannot be applied to less economically developed countries