Virtual Relationships

Virtual Relationships

1. Social media

   • Evolved virtual relationship by allowing pictures and real-time communications which held back earlier methods of video dating and ‘lonely hearts’ or ‘pen pals.' However, there are dangers of misinterpretation with people deceiving

2. Face to face relationships

   • Physical proximity Physical attraction Frequent interaction

3. Self-disclosure in Virtual relationships

   • Long known that SD is an important feature in face to face relationships in the offline world. Recent years - the attention has been turned to the role of social media in its role in relationships. The question is how does elf disclosure feature in computer-mediated communication (CMC)

4. Reduced cues theory

   • FtF is more effective for SD because of non-verbal cues such as eye contact and tone to encourage further disclosure. The lack of CMC results in disinhibition making people less afraid to be blunt or aggressive. Creates a hostile atmosphere online forums and discourages people from making self-disclosures.

5. Hyperpersonal model (Walther 1996, 2011)

   • CMC induces more self-disclosure and are more quickly personal that FtF making self-disclosure occur acceptably earlier. Can also end earlier and speedier as excitement and trust do not match. More self-disclosure occurs because you have more time to manipulate an online image this is known as selective self-presentation. Anonymity also aids the process as one is less worried about self-disclosures being shared in one’s social circle.

6. The absence of gating in virtual relationships McKenna and Bargh 1999

   • A gate in this context is any obstacle to the formation of a relationship. FtF interaction is said to be gated because it involves many features that can interfere with the early development of a relationship. Eg - physical unattractiveness, a stammer, social anxiety.
     • Argued... A huge advantage of CMC is the absence of gating. The absence of gating allows an online relationship to get off the ground in a way that its less likely to happen FtF situation. This means that the relationship can develop to a point where SD becomes more deeper and frequent.
       • However... Also means that people are able to create online identities that they could not manage FtF. Introvert to an extrovert. The ultimate expression of this ungated existence is Second Life - where anyone can create any kind of avatar to represent themselves in a virtual reality.

7. Supporting evidence

   • Absence of gating
     • McKenna 2002 C1 - FtF 2 20 mins session with different people C2 - CMC 2 online chats with different people C3 - 1 FTF 1 CMC, same person (kept a secret) CMC was preferred by all participants and rated as more intimate - implies a role of gating Significantly prefered

8. Criticism

   • Relationships are multimodal - Walther 2001 - Any theory seeking to explain CMC including SD needs to accommodate the fact that our relationships are generally conducted online and offline through many different types of media Very rarely straight forward matter of either/or This is in the fact probably the central character of many modern relationships What we choose to disclose in our online relationships will inevitably be influenced by our offline interactions and vice versa

9. Other explanations

   • Other explanations could involve a comparative evaluation of the importance of gating, self-disclosure (Reduced cues vs Hyper-Personal)

10. Debates

    • Cultural differences - Yum and Hara (2005)
      • In the US PPs report that > SD leads to > trust. However, in Korea > lead to < Trust.

11. Application

    • Argued that VRs can have useful application to teaching social skills and practising forming relationships and self-disclosures without the anxiety and gating restrictions of reality.