Virtual Relationships

Question 1

What is CMC?

Answer 1

Computer mediated communication

Question 2

What is FtF relationships?

Answer 2

Face to face relationships

Question 3

Difference between CMC and FtF

Answer 3

One major difference between CMC and FtF is that self-disclosure tends to happen much faster. Another would be that there is an absence of gating.

Question 4

What is a strength of research into virtual relationships?

Answer 4

P: A strength of virtual environments is the positive impact it has had on developing romantic relationships.​

E: For example, Rosenfeld & Thomas (2012) found that out of 4,000 participants studied, 72% of those with internet access were married or had a romantic partner, compared with only 34% of those without internet access.​

C: The findings suggest that the virtual environment helps people to establish and maintain romantic relationships.

Question 5

Who proposed the Hyper
personal model?

Answer 5

Walther (1996), Self Disclosure is
higher in CMC

Question 6

Who proposed the Reduced Cues
Theory ​

Answer 6

Sproull and Kiesler (1986), Self Disclosure is
higher in FtF

Question 7

What does the Hyper-personal model suggest?

Answer 7

Suggests that as self-disclosure happens earlier in the relationship in CMCs therefore relationships become more intense and feel more intimate and meaningful faster. ​

However, they can also end more quickly as it is difficult to sustain the same level of intense self-disclosure for a long time. ​

CMCs may feel more intimate because its easier to manipulate self disclosure online than F2F. E.g. you can ‘edit’ your response and present themselves in a more positive light (selective self-presentation).​

Question 8

Research of Strangers on a train?

Answer 8

Social psychologists suggest that the nature of virtual relationships is very close to the ‘stranger on the train’ phenomenon, described by Rubin (1975).​

He suggests that we are more likely to
share personal information with a
stranger because we are likely to never see them again and there is no consequence of
over-sharing.​

Question 9

How are Relationships multi-modal​?

Answer 9

Walther (2011) argues that any theory seeking to explain CMC, including the role of self-disclosure, needs to accommodate the fact that our relationships are generally conducted both online and offline through different media.​

Question 10

What is the Reduced Cues Theory?

Answer 10

CMCs are less open and honest than FtF because in real-life we are relying on a lot of subtle cues, such as facial expressions and tone of voice which are absent in CMCs. ​

Reduction in communication cues leads to de-individuation because it diminishes people’s feelings of individual identity and brings behaviours that people usually restrain themselves from displaying, such as aggression or aggressive/blunt communication.​

The consequence of this is a reluctance to self-disclose, you are unlikely to want to initiate a relationship with someone who is so impersonal or reveal of your innermost feelings to them.​

Question 11

What is ‘Gating’

Answer 11

Gate: A feature/obstacle that could interfere with the development of a relationship (FtF)

Question 12

Examples of gates?

Answer 12

Physical unattractiveness​

A stammer​

Poor mannerisms ​

Social anxiety​

Age​

Physical disability​

Shyness etc

Question 13

Qualities of the Absence of ‘Gating’ in Virtual Relationships?

Answer 13

In CMCs, these barriers (gates) don’t exist which creates opportunities for shy, less attractive people to develop romantic relationships. It works by refocusing attention on self-disclosure and away from superficial features.​

McKenna & Bargh (1999) argue that a huge advantage of CMC is the absence of gating because relationships can develop to a point where self-disclosure becomes more frequent and allows the relationship to ‘get off the ground.’​

Question 14

Consequences of the Absence of Gating

Answer 14

A concern is that the absence of gating also means that people are free to create online identities that they could never manage FtF.

Question 15

Support for Absence of Gating​

Answer 15

P: A strength is that there is research support for the absence of gating.​

E: McKenna & Bargh (2000) looked at CMC used by lonely and socially anxious people and found that people were able to express their ‘true selves’ more in FtF situations. Of the romantic relationships that initially formed online, 70% survived more than two years – a higher proportion than for relationships
formed in the offline world.​

C: This suggests that the absence of gating can create opportunities that otherwise would not have been possible for certain individuals.

Question 16

What is a limitation of virtual relationships with regards to validity?

Answer 16

P: A limitation is that most of the research examining virtual relationships was
conducted in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s.​

E: As technology is changing rapidly, so is the nature of online relationships;
therefore, psychological research in these areas risk becoming outdated by the
time it is published.​

C: This lowers temporal validity of research into relationships, meaning that the
findings may not necessarily apply to the current situation.