Virtual Relationships Flashcards
Explain self-disclosure in virtual relationships
-Jouard (1971) proposed concept of ‘broadcasting self-disclosure’ to explain difference between disclosure to romantic partner + sharing of personal info in public situation.
-Claimed self-disclosure in public domain involves individual presenting self in ‘edited’ version.
-Individuals using social networks exercise different levels depending on whether they are presenting info in private because of the increased control over selection of individual.
Why do people self-disclose more on the internet?
-Individuals do not usually engage in self-disclosure with one another until they are confident that what they disclose remains confidential + would not be leaked to mutual acquaintances.
-Dangers in face-to-face = confidentiality might be violated or may negatively respond to disclosure which leads to ridicule or rejection.
-The relative anonymity of internet interactions greatly reduces risks of such disclosure because people can share their inner thoughts + feelings with much less fear of disapproval + sanction.
Similar to ‘strangers on a train’ phenomenon’ (Rubin 1975) - we are more likely to disclose personal info to people we don’t know and will probably never see again + confidentiality problem is less of an issue.
What is the reduced cues theory?
-Sproull + Kiesler (1986) - virtual relationships are less effective than face-to-face as lack many cues we normally depend on, including nonverbal cues like physical appearance.
-Virtuals lack cues to emotional state like facial expressions and tone of voice - leads to deindividuation as it reduces people’s sense of individual identity which encourages disinhibition in relating to others.
-Therefore more likely to be blunt + even aggressive, can cause reluctance to self-disclose.
What is the hyperpersonal model?
-Walther - online relationships can be more personal than face-to-face - as virtuals can develop quickly as self-disclosure happens earlier so are more intimate + intense faster.
-They can also end quicker as high excitement level of interaction isn’t matched by level of trust between partners - Cooper + Sportolari (1997) called this Boom + Bust phenomenon.
-Key feature of self-disclosure in virtual is that sender of message has more time to manipulate online image - Walther calls this selective self-presentation.
-Means it is easier to manipulate self-disclosure to promote intimacy in virtuals, by self-presenting in a positive + idealised way.
-Bargh et al (2002) - outcome of anonymity is like strangers on a train effect - when you’re aware that other people do not know your identity, you feel less accountable for your behaviour.
Explain the absence of gating in virtual relationships?
-Gating is the barriers that limit the opportunities for less attractive shy or less socially skilled people to form relationships such as personal factors like physical appearance + mannerisms as these determine who we approach.
-McKenna + Bargh (1999) argue this an advantage, as relationship can develop to point where self-disclosure becomes more frequent + deeper.
-The absence of gating allows an online relationship to ‘get off the ground’ in a way less likely to happen in face-to-face situation.
-Works by refocusing attention of self-disclosure + away from what might be considered superficial + distracting features i.e. online more interested in what someone says rather than their looks.
-People can create online identities they could never manage face-to-face.
What are 2 strengths of virtual relationships?
Importance of the internet for romantic relationships:
-Rosenfeld + Thomas (2012) - study of 4,000 US adults, found those with internet access at home far more likely to be partnered and less likely to be single.
-72% who had internet access had a spouse or partner.
-36% without internet access had a spouse or partner.
-Even after controlling for variables such as age, gender, education etc they were still twice as likely.
Suggests the internet may be displacing rather than simply complementing the traditional ways of meeting a romantic partner.
A biological basis for self-disclosure on Facebook:
-Tamil + Mitchell (2012) - found increased MRI activity in 2 brain regions associated with reward, the nucleus accumbens + ventral tegmental area.
-Areas strongly activated when people were talking about themselves + less about someone else.
-Experienced a greater sensation of pleasure when sharing their thoughts with a family mber or friend, less when they were told their thoughts would be kept private.
Suggest that the human tendency to share our personal experiences over social media may arise from the rewarding nature of self-disclosure.
What are 2 limitations of virtual relationships?
Most relationships these days tend to be ‘multi-modal’:
-Walther (2011) - any theory seeking to explain virtuals needs to accommodate the fact that our relationships are generally conducted online + offline though many different media.
-It is not a straightforward matter of ‘either/or’.
-What we choose to disclose in online relationships will inevitably be influenced by our offline interactions and vice versa.
Theories discussed aren’t fully representative of modern day relationships as they don’t accommodate the multi-modal nature of relationships today.
Lack of research support for reduced cues theory:
-Wrong to suggest that nonverbal cues are entirely missing - different rather than absent.
-Walther + Tidwell (1995) - people use other cues online such as style + timing of messages.
-e.g. taking time to reply is often interpreted as a more intimate act than an immediate response, but not too much time.
-Acrostics such as LOL, emojis and emoticons increasingly effective substitutes for facial expressions + tone of voice.
Success of such online communication is difficult for this theory to explain, it shows virtual relationships can be just as personal as those face-to-face + that it’s possible to express emotional states.
