virtual relationships in social media

Question 1

self-disclosure

Answer 1

revealing personal info about yourself. Romantic partners reveal more about their true selves as their rs develops. These self-disclosures about one’s deepest thoughts and feelings can stengthen a romantic bod when used appropriately

Question 2

reduced cues theory

Answer 2

CMC relationships are less effective than Ftf ones bc they lack many of the cues we normally depend on in Ftf interactions. CMC lacks cues to our emotional state such as expressions and tone of voice. This leads to de-individuation bc it reduces people’s sense of individual identity , which in turn encourages disinhibition in relation to others. Virtual rs’s are therefore more likely to be blunt and eve aggressive communication

Question 3

the hyperpersonal model

Answer 3

walther argues that online rs can be more personal and involve greater sd than FtF ones. This is bc CMC rs’s can develop very quickly as s.d. happens earlier. and once established they are more intense and intimate. . They can also end more quickly bc the high excitement level isn’t matched by the level of trust in the relationship This is called the boom and bust phenomenon. A key feature of the hyperpersonal model is that the sender has more time to manipulate their online imagine than they would in FtF situation and people have more control over what to disclose. Another aspect of CMC that promotes sd and makes rs hyperpersonal is anonymity

Question 4

absence of gating

Answer 4

FtF is said to be gated, in that it involves many features that can interefere with the early development of a relationship. Examples of gates include physical unattractiveness, a stammer, social anxiety. Mckenna and Bargh argue that a huge adv of CMC is the absence of gating. Absence of gating works by refocusing attention on sd and away from what may seem superficial and distracting features.