Relationships - 4. Virtual Relationships in Social Media: 1. Self-disclosure Flashcards
2 parts of self-disclosure in virtual relationships
The reduced cues theory
The hyper-personal model
Who developed the reduced cues theory?
Sproull and Kielser
What does the reduced cues theory suggest?
That CMC (computer mediated communication) relationships are less effective than FtF (face to face) relationships because they lack cues that we often depend on
Why may self-disclosure be less in CMC than FtF according to the Reduced Cues Theory?
Because you may not be able to interpret the other person as well as you could in real life
How may interpreting a person be different in real life compared to virtually?
IRL, you are able to read the other person’s body language, their tone of voice, whether they are telling the truth or not etc
Why is self-disclosure more likely to occur in FtF relationships according to the reduced cues theory?
Because the trust isn’t fully developed if you’ve only ever talked to the person virtually
What is the opposite to the reduced cues theory? Why?
The hyper-personal model…
…because it suggests that CMC can be more intimate and can involve more self-disclosure than FtF
Who developed the hyper-personal model?
Walther
What does the hyper-personal model say about the duration and intensity of CMCs?
They often developed very quickly and are more intense. They can also end more quickly
What describes the quick and intense nature of CMCs?
The boom and bust phenomenon
According to the hyper-personal model, why can CMC involve more self-disclosure?
Because talking or messaging over the phone is less personal and easier to do than saying the things in person
According to the hyper-personal model, how may people use selective self presentation?
Senders of messages have time to manipulate their online image
More control over cues and disclosure
Present themselves in an idealised way
People can either be hyper-honest or hyper-dishonest
According to the hyper-personal model, what makes disclosure to strangers potentially easier than disclosure to a significant other (Rubin)?
Rubin found that people found it easier to self-disclose to strangers as they knew:
- they would never see the individual again
- the stranger wouldn’t tell the individual’s social group
