virtual relationships in social media Flashcards
what are the two main theories of self disclosure in virtual relationships?
reduced cues theory - Sproull and Kiesler (1986)
hyperpersonal model - Walther (1996)
outline reduced cues theory.
CMC relationships are less effective than FtF because they lack many of the cues we normally depend on in FtF interactions - include nonverbal cues e.g. appearance, and cues to emotional state e.g. facial expressions.
this leads to deindividualisation as it reduces our sense of individual identity, which encourages disinhibition in relating to others.
virtual relationships are therefore more likely to involve blunt and even aggressive communication. the outcome of this process is a reluctancy to self-disclose as you are unlikely to want to reveal innermost feelings with someone who is impersonal.
outline the hyperpersonal model.
online relationships can be more personal and involve greater SD than FtF ones.
this is because relationships can develop very quickly as SD happens earlier, and once established they are more intense and intimate.
can also end more quickly - high excitement level isn’t matched by level of trust between partners - boom and bust phenomenon.
key feature of SD = sender has more time to manipulate their online image than they would FtF - selective self presentation. people online have more control over what to disclose and what cues they send - easier to manipulate SD to promote intimacy, by self presenting in a positive way.
what is another aspect of CMC that promotes SD? describe why.
anonymity.
Bargh et al (2002) - strangers on a train effect.
when you are ware that other people do not know your identity, you feel less accountable for your behaviour. may disclose more about yourself to a stranger rather than your intimate partner.
what is a gate?
an obstacle to the formation of a relationship.
outline absence of gating in virtual relationships.
Ftf interaction is gated - involves features that can interfere with the early development of a relationship - e.g. physical unattractiveness, social anxiety etc.
advantage of CMC is an absence of gating. means a relationship can develop to a point where SD becomes deeper. allows online relationship to ‘get off the ground’ that is less likely in FtF - by refocusing attention on SD instead of distracting features.
also means people are free to create online identities that they could not in real life. e.g. an introvert can become an extrovert, a man can pretend to be a woman.
discuss lack of research support for reduced cues as a limitation.
a limitation of the reduced cues theory is that there is a lack of research support for the theory.
Walther (1995) suggests that the reduced cues theory is wrong to suggest that nonverbal cues are entirely missing from online communication. They are just different. Online interactions use other cues, such as style and the timing of the message.
For instance, taking time to reply to a status update is often interpreted as more intimate than an immediate response. But too much time is considered a snub. These nuances are as subtle as they are in face-to-face relationships.
Additionally, acrostics (e.g. LOL), emoticons and emojis are used as effective substitutes for facial expressions and tone of voice.
this shows that the CMC interactions can be personal and it is possible to express cues to emotional states virtually, thus the reduced cues theory is limited in validity.
discuss research support as a strength of the hyperpersonal model.
a strength of the model is evidence from research support.
McKenna and Bargh (2000) used questionnaires to establish whether there was a correlation between being shy and internet use. They found that these people were able to express their ‘true’ selves more than in FtF situations.
From these relationships, they found that romantic relationships that initially formed online were 70% likely to last more than two years - a higher proportion than ‘offline’ relationships.
this supports the idea that virtual relationships have more SD than FtF, thus supporting the validity of the hyperpersonal model.
HOWEVER -
the study relied on self report from the ptps so their responses regarding their online relationships may not be entirely truthful - limiting the support the findings can give the hyperpersonal model.
HOWEVER -
self-report was arguably the best method for the researchers to use as relationships are based on personal perception as they are subjective - therefore the researching findings do have value and can provide support for the model.
discuss reductionism as a limitation of the theories.
The extent and depth of self-disclosure online depends on the type of online communication.
On social networking sites, people interacting generally have relationships in the offline world. For example, people self-disclose more on Facebook than they would on an e-survey, where they are reluctant to disclose information that they consider to be private.
Online dating often results in reduced self-disclosure because communicators anticipate future meetings face-to-face in the offline world, whereas this consideration generally doesn’t exist in chatrooms and on gaming sites.
this suggests that any model that approaches CMC as a single concept neglects its complexity and variety, therefore likely is reductionist and not a completely valid explanation.
