VIRTUAL RELATIONSHIPS

Self-disclosure is when a person reveals personal informations about themselves

~The Hyperpersonal Model~

→ Proposed by Walther (2011)

→ According to this model, virtual relationships have higher levels of self-disclosure than face-to-face relationships, meaning relationships become deeper/intimate more quickly

1. Selective Self-Presentation

   • In online interactions, the sender has more control over what they disclose and how they present themselves, allowing them to emphasise positive traits and omit flaws

   • This process can involve both hyper-honest self-disclosures, revealing deeply truthful information) or hyper-dishonest disclosures (exaggerating or falsifying details to appear idealised)

2. Feedback Loop

   • The receiver often forms a positive impression based on the senders selective self-presentation

   • Their feedback reinforced the senders’s idealised image, encouraging them to disclose more

• Another factor that encourages self-disclosure online is anonymity, Bargh et al (2002)

• This is comparable to the ‘strangers in a train’ phenomenon where people feel more comfortable sharing personal information with strangers because they are not accountable for their behaviour

~Reduced Cues Theory~

→ Proposed by Sproull & Kiesler (1986)

→ According to this theory, virtual relationships have lower levels of self-disclosure than face-to-face relationships because virtual relationships lack nonverbal cues (e.g. facial expressions and tone of voice)

→ This leads to deindividuation, which is a reduced sense of personal identity

→ This encourages a sense of disinhibition (people feel less restrained), and so people are more likely to communicate in a blunt and aggressive manner

→ This leads to a reluctance to self-disclose personal information as people fear negative or unpleasant responses, including verbal aggression

→ Furthermore, this theory argues that virtual relationships may struggle to develop the same emotional depth as in-person ones due to inhibited self-disclosure

~Absence Of Gating~

→ A gate is any obstacle to the formation of a romantic relationship; many factors can interfere with their early development (e.g. physical appearance)

→ McKenna & Bargh (1999) argue that a significant advantage of virtual relationships is the absence of gating

→ Due to this absence, virtual relationships are more likely to develop to a point where self-disclosure becomes broader and deeper

→ It refocuses attention on self-disclosure and away from other superficial factors such as physical appearance

→ However, the lack of gating can also enable deception, and individuals may present false information about themselves (lying about age or interests etc)

EVALUATION

Research Support:

→ RESEARCH SUPPORT FOR GATING

• One strength is that there is research support for the absence of gating.

• For example, McKenna & Bargh (2000) looked at socially anxious people. They found that these people were able to express their ‘true selves’ more in virtual encounters than in face-to-face encounters.

• They also found that if the romantic relationships that they initially formed online, 70% survived for more than 2 years which is a much higher proportion than those formed offline.

• This suggests that social media allows people to overcome the obstacles that they usually face in the formation of romantic relationships.

→ RESEARCH SUPPORT FOR THE HYPERPERSONAL MODEL

• On another strength is that there is some research support for the hyperpersonal model.

• Whitty & Joinson summarise evidence showing how self-preservation is manipulated in virtual relationships. For example, questions asked in online discussions tend to be very direct, probing and intimate (hyperhonest). This is quite different from face-to-face conversations which often feature ‘small-talk’.