10. Virtual relationships

Question 1

What are virtual relationships

Answer 1

relationships by communicating over social media.
Psychologists are interested to why online relationships disclose more and develop intimacy sooner than irl

Question 2

Research - Rubin

Answer 2

Found a similar phenomenon in terms of self-disclosure.
People far more likely to disclose personal info to strangers as they know they wouldn’t see them again and they wouldn’t report the disclosures to individuals social groups

Question 3

Anonymity

Answer 3

Lets person feel less responsible so they can say things online that they wouldn’t irl. Lack of distancing thats regulated face to face can lead to closeness and intimacy but also sexting and trolling.

Question 4

CMC and FTF

Answer 4

Computer mediated communication, Face to face

Question 5

Hypersonal model

Answer 5

Walther
suggests self-disclosure happens earlier in CMC so they then become more intense and intimate faster but can end quicker due to difficulties in maintaining the intensity.
People can manipulate their online identity and control the interaction to display hyperhonest or dishonest versions of themselves

Question 6

Reduced cue theory

Answer 6

Online relationships are less open and honest than FTF because irl we rely on cues that aren’t there in CMC. This reduction can allow people to restrain themselves from displaying communication such as aggression.

Question 7

Gating

Answer 7

Gating is an obstacle that can interfere with FTF relationships like unattractivness, age, manners.
CMC have the absence of gating, irl our attraction to people influenced by their appearance, manners etc which limits choices. In CMC these gates don’t exist so less attritive people/ shy can develop relationships as it focuses attention on self-disclosure not superficial features.

Question 8

AO3 - Hypersonal model, research support

Answer 8

Evidence for both hyperhonest and dishonest disclosures online. Questions asked in online discussions tend to be direct, probing and intimate – same for responses. This is consistent with the prediction of the model that these are distinctive types of disclosures in CMC

Question 9

AO3 - Support for absence of gating

Answer 9

Researchers found lonely and social anxious people were able to express their true selves more in CMC that FTF situations. Out of online relationships, 70% survived more than 2 years, higher than those starting offline. This suggests that CMC can be helpful to support people who are socially anxious to build confidence in forming relationships.

Question 10

AO3 - don’t distinguish between types of CMC

Answer 10

CMC can be e-commerce, facebook, websites, apps and the level of disclosure will vary. People disclose more in areas they consider private e.g. facebook statuses seen by friends and less on other types of websites. This means that the validity of theories that consider all CMC in the same way will be limited.