virtual relationships in social media

Question 1

what is the difference between self disclosure in a virtual relationship to face to face?

Answer 1

it tends to occur much faster online

Question 2

why does self disclosure happen faster in virtual relationships?

Answer 2

• the anonymity associated with online relationships; people tend to hold off disclosing unreal life for fear of rejection or being ridiculed, unless they can trust the person
• less risk in virtual relationships, can share without much risk of the info getting to people they know

Question 3

what is the hyperpersonal model (walther 1996, 2011) of virtual relationships?

Answer 3

• self disclosure happens faster virtually so relationships become more intense and feel more intimate
• can also end quicker, as it’s difficult to sustain the same level of intense self disclosure for a long time

Question 4

what is selective self presentation?

Answer 4

• where virtual relationships may feel more intimate as its easier to manipulate self disclosure online because they have time to edit and present themselves positively
• projecting a positive image will make an online partner want to disclose more personal info, increasing intensity of relationship

Question 5

what did rubin (1975) say that supports walther’s model?

Answer 5

the anonymous nature of virtual relationships is very close to the ‘stranger on the train’ phenomenon that proposes we are more likely yo share personal info with a stranger because we are likely to never see them again

Question 6

what is support for hyperpersonal mode by whitty and joinson (2009)?

Answer 6

• research demonstrates effect of virtual environment on self disclosure
• discovered that in online discussion forums both questions and answers tend to be more direct, probing and intimate than in everyday face-to-face interactions

Question 7

what findings from by ruppel (2017) challenges the hyperpersonal model?

Answer 7

• a meta analysis of 25 studies that compared self disclosures in ftf and virtual interactions
• found that self-report studies showed the frequency, breadth and depth of self disclosure were all greater in ftf relationships
• experimental studies showed no significant differences in terms of self disclosure
• contradicts hyperpersoanl model

Question 8

what is the counter argument to ruppel’s meta analysis?

Answer 8

• some evidence that ftf and virtual relationships do differ in the type of self disclosures used
• whitty and joinson (2009) summarise evidence showing how self-presentation is manipulated when virtual
• for example, questions online tend to be more hyper honest whereas ftf often feature ‘small talk’
• self presentation can also be hyper dishonest, when people invent attract personal qualities for their online dating profiles

Question 9

what is reduced cues theory (sproull and kiesler 1986) of virtual relationships?

Answer 9

online relationships might be less open and honest than face-to-face ones

Question 10

why does reduced cues theory suggest online relationships are less honest?

Answer 10

• in real life we rely on social subtle cues (facial expressions and tone of voice) and online these are absent
• reduction in communication cues leads to de-individuation because it dimities peoples feelings of individual identity and brings on behaviour that people usually restrain themselves from displaying, like aggression
• online communications become more aggressive and this leads to less self disclosure from other people out of fear of becoming a victim of verbal violence

Question 11

what is absence of gating?

Answer 11

• in real life attraction is influenced by appearance, mannerisms and factors like age and ethnicity which limits choice
• in virtual interactions these gates are absent which creates more opportunities for shy and less attractive people to develop relationships

Question 12

what happens when these gates are discovered?

Answer 12

usually happens when it moves from virtual to real life and rarely decreases and already developed attraction because of the feeling of intimacy brought by more open self disclosure

Question 13

what is a criticism of reduced cues?

Answer 13

• lack of support, cues are used, they are just different
• walther and tidwell (1995) say people in online interactions use other cues, such as style and timing of messages
• taking time to reply to a stays update may be more intimate
• taking too much time could be interpreted badly
• there are nuances in virtual relationships that are just as subtle as ftf
• acronyms and emojis can be used as substitutes for facial expressions and tone of voice

Question 14

how is absence of gating seen as useful and positive according to baker and oswald (2010)?

Answer 14

• useful for shy and socially anxious people
• asked 207 male and female ppts to complete a questionnaire, scoring their answers in terms of shyness, interest use and perception of quality of their friendships
• people who scored highly on shyness and internet use perched quality of friendships as high
• this correlation was absent for people with low shyness scores
• online communication helps people overcome shyness, so quality of ftf communication improves

Question 15

how is research into virtual relationships culture bias?

Answer 15

• based on experiences of mainly western cultures
• attitudes to self disclosure is different in different cultures
• nakanishi (1986) found japanese women prefer lower levels of self disclosure in close relationships
• level of self disclosure depends on cultural norms, which may affect communication styles online
• lowers validity