Virtual relationships in social media

Question 1

Virtual relationship

Answer 1

• a relationship formed and maintained online
• face-to face relationships are formed and maintained outside of an online platform
• self-disclosure is an important factor in romantic relationships and plays a vital role in virtual relationships

Question 2

Self disclosure in virtual relationships:

Answer 2

1. Reduced cues theory
2. Hyperpersonal model
3. Absence of gatinf

Question 3

Reduced cues theory

Answer 3

Sproull and Kiesler (1986)
* virtual relationships lack cues that face to face relationships have such as physical appearance, tone of voice, facial expressions, body languege, cues to emotions etc
* leads to de-inindividuation- reduction of a persons sense of individual identity - which in turn leads to disinhibition (communicating in blunt and aggressive ways) becasue people feel freer from the constraints of social norms
* people are less likely to reveal true emotions and thoughts

Question 4

Hyperpersonal model

Answer 4

Walther (2011)
* virtual relationships involve greater self-disclosure than face to face relationships
* self-disclosure happens earlier ehich leads to more intimate and intense relationships
* virtual relationships involves selective self-presentation so sender of message has greater control over what to disclose and how to present themselves in a positive way
* self-disclosure may be intensely thoughful (hyperhonest) or intensely false (hyperdishonest)
* the receievr is impressed by the sender’s messages and gives positive feedback ie positive comments to a photo
* Bargh et al (2002) - people are more likely to self disclose becasue other people do not know you and so you feel less accounatable for your behaviour

Question 5

Absence of gating

Answer 5

McKenna and Bargh (1999)
* absence of gating in virtual relationsjips leads to more self disclosure
* gate- feature that acts as barrier in development of relationship e.g. physical unattractiveness, social anxiety, unattractive tone of voice
* these gates are absent in v relationships so ppl are more likely to self-disclose information to each other, leading to faster and intimate development of relationship
* lack of fact-to-face could lead to people lying about their identities, looks and characteristics

Question 6

Evaluation

Answer 6

- lack of support for reduced cues theory
- lack of support for hyperpersonal model
+ Support for absence of gating
- theory is incomplete

Question 7

- lack of support for reduced cues theory

Answer 7

• critics aregue that non-verbal cues are different from face to face cues
• Online interactions involve different types of cues such the use of emoticons to represent facial expressions or time taken to respond to someones message may be significant in interpretation of someones thoughts and characteristics
• critics argue that virtual relationships can be just as personal as face to face ones

Question 8

- lack of support for hyperpersonal model

Answer 8

• meta analysis of 25 studies from Ruppel et al (2017) showed frequency and depth of self disclosure were all greater in face to face relationships than virtual relationships
• counter evidence from Whitty and Joinson (2009) showed type of self disclosure between virtual and face to face relationships are different
• virtual relationships = people are more likely to ask direct questions + reveal more (hyperhonest) but also likely to manipulate self-presentation to present self in positive light (hyperdishonest)
• face to face = more limited to small talk which supports models claims

Question 9

+ Support for absence of gating

Answer 9

• support for Mckenna and Bargh’s (2000) view on absence of gating
• evidence that shy, lonely and socially anxious people find virtual relationships easier and more valuable
• of romantic relationships initially formed by shy people online, 71% survived for at least 2 years, compared with 49% of relationships for shy people formed offline

Question 10

- Model is incomplete

Answer 10

• explanations do not distinguish types of virtual relationships
• from online e-commerce forms through Facebook and to online dating, level of self-disclosure varies considerably
• people disclose more in areas that they consider private such as Facebook posts only seen by friends
• people tend to disclose less on webforms that involve the collection of data
• validity of theories that consider all virtual relationships in the same way will be limited