virtual relationships

who proposed the reduced cues theory

Sproull and Kiesler

what did Sproull and Kiesler say

• virtual relationships are less effective than face to face ones because they may lack many of the cues in ftf interactions

• include physical cues (body language) and emotional cues (facial expressions)

• leads to de-indiviualsiation bc it reduces peoples sense of identity 

• reluctance to self disclosure with someone who is impersonal 

who proposed the hyper personal model

Walther

explain walther’s hyper personal model

• argues virtual relationships can be more personal because they can develop quickly so self-disclosure can happen earlier

• message sender has greater control over what to disclose and the cues they send

• message receiver gains positive impression - give feedback that reinforces the senders identity

• anonymity is another factor as less identity means the person feels less accountable for behaviour

explain absence of gating in virtual relationships

• Mckenna and Bargh

• gate is an obstacle in relationship

• VR hides these gates more easily

evaluation points?

1. lack of research support for reduced cues theory 

2. research support for hyper personal model

3. types of CMC

4. relationships are multimodal 

evaluation - lack of research support for reduced cues theory 

P: A limitation of reduced cues theory is that it wrongly assumes nonverbal cues are absent in CMC

E: Walther and Tidwell found that online users use alternative cues like message timing, emojis and acronyms

E: this shows people can still express emotion and intimacy online

L: therefore the reduced cues theory lacks validity because it cannot explain successful online communication

evaluation - research support for the hyper personal model

P: a strength of the hyper personal model is that research supports increased self-disclosure online

E: Whitty and Joinon found online discussions are unusually direct, intimate and probing

E: this supports the idea that CMC encourages selective, positive self-presentation

L: therefore the hyprepersonal model is more valid as there is multiple studies to back it up

evaluation - types of computer mediated communication

P: one limitation is that CMC is not a single, uniform type of communication

E: different platforms show differrent levels of self-disclosure, such as high on social networks but low in anonymous webforms

E: this means the nature of online relationships varies depending on the medium used

L: therefore theories treating all CMC the same lacks validity 

evaluation - relationships are multimodal

P: a limitation is that theories often ignore the multimodal nature of modern relationships

E: Walther argues most relationships combine online and offline interactions across many media

E: this means CMC behaviour is shaped by offline relationships and vice versa

L: therefore, theories that ignore multimodality lack ecological validity