Virtual Relationships In Social Media

Question 1

What has the increasing use of social media led to?

Answer 1

Research on differences between the relationships formed and maintained online and those formed and maintained face-to-face

Question 2

When is self-disclosure crucial and what have psychologists done because of this

Answer 2

In FtF real so psychologists have turned their attention to its role and nurture in virtual relationships

Question 3

What are virtual relationships also known as

Answer 3

CMC - computer-mediated communication

Question 4

What may reduced cues lead to in CMC

Answer 4

Less self-disclosure

Question 5

What does the reduced cues theory suggest

Answer 5

That CMC relationships I less affective due to the lack of non-verbal cues - in FtF we rely on these cues

Question 6

What does lack of cues about emotional state lead to

Answer 6

(E.g. Voice, facial expressions) de-individuation

Question 7

What leads to blunt, aggressive communication and reluctance to self-disclose

Answer 7

People feeling more free from the constraints of social norms (disinhibition)

Question 8

What may CMC relationships involve more

Answer 8

Self-disclosure

Question 9

What did Walter suggest

Answer 9

Hyperpersonal model

Question 10

What does the hyperpersonal model suggest

Answer 10

That early self-disclosure means that CMC relationships develop more quickly and can become intense and intimate

Question 11

What else could occur in a CMC relationship

Answer 11

Could end more quickly because of height excitement level but low levels of trust

Question 12

Why does self-disclosure differ in CMC

Answer 12

Because online image can be maipulated

Question 13

What can the sender of a message do

Answer 13

Be selective about what and how they present themselves when self-disclosing

Question 14

What else leads to CMC making people self-disclose more

Answer 14

Feeling of anonymity, makes people feel less accountable for their behaviour

Question 15

What did McKenna do Bargh argue

Answer 15

Facial disfigurements or a stammer may be iostaclesmto a FtF relationship

Question 16

What are not present in an online relationship

Answer 16

‘gates’

Question 17

When do gates become less of an issue

Answer 17

Once self-disclosure becomes deeper

Question 18

What does absence of gates have?

Answer 18

Benefits

Question 19

What does having no obstacles of FtF communication lead to

Answer 19

People are free to create different online identities de overcome various boundaries e.g. A shy person can become more extravert online and their personality is no longer an obstacle

Question 20

What is there also a possibility of occurring through CMC

Answer 20

There is also scope for untrue personas

Question 21

Name a strength of virtual relationships

Answer 21

Support for absence of gating - McKenna and Bargh

Question 22

What did McKenna and Bargh find

Answer 22

Lonely and socially anxious people were able to express their true selves more in CMC than in FtF situations

Question 23

What statistics did McKenna and Bargh find

Answer 23

70% of relationships that initially formed online survived more than two years a higher than for relationships formed in the offline world

Question 24

Why does McKenna and Bargh’s research act as support

Answer 24

Suggests that CMC can be helpful to support people who star socially anxious to build confidence in forming relationships

Question 25

Name a limitation of virtual relationships

Answer 25

Lack of research support - Walter and Tidwell

Question 26

What did Walter and Tidwell do

Answer 26

Assert that cues in CMC’s are simply different from those in FtF

• found there are plenty of cues in CMC’s just not the nonverbal ones that we recognise in FtF communication

Question 27

What did Walter and Tidwell do

Answer 27

Found that emojis are considered effective substitutions in CMC’s for the lack of usual nonverbal cues

Question 28

Why does Walter and Tidwell’s research support virtual relationships

Answer 28

Suggests that there may be no difference ps in self-disclosure between CMC and FtF relationships - which doesn’t support the reduced cues theory