Virtual Relationships

• Self Disclosure 


  Revealing personal information about yourself
• What are the 2 theories involved in virtual relationships?

  • Reduced cues theory
  • Hyperpersonal model
• Reduced cues theory

  • Virtual relationships are less effective than face to face relationships as they lack many of the cues we normally depend on during interaction
  • These include non-verbal cues (physical appearance) or cues that help determine a person’s emotional state (facial expressions or tone)
  • Leads to de-individuation as it reduces a person’s sense of individual identity
  • May be characterised by aggressive and blunt communication between people
  • Leads to a reluctance to self-disclose reducing the chances of initiating a relationship with people
• Hyperpersonal Model

  • Online relationships can be more personal and involve greater self disclosure than face to face relationships
  • Self disclosure can happen more quickly with relationships becoming intense but also ending more quickly due to lack of trust
  • Self disclosure in virtual relationships leads to sender having more time to manipulate their online image than they would in a face to face situation
  • Can manipulate self disclosure to promote intimacy by presenting themselves in a positive way that may not be representative of who they really are
• What is a gate?


  Is an obstacle to forming a relationship
• Examples of gates


  Physical unattractiveness, a stammer and social anxiety
• Benefits and Drawbacks of gating

  • In virtual relationships most gates are absent
  • Absence of gating works on refocusing attention on self disclosure and away from superficial things
  • People can be more like their true selves however some take advantage and are likely to be fake
• AO3 Virtual Relationships: Cultural Bias

  • Culture is a factor for how virtual self disclosure affects the relationship
  • American PPs reported that greater disclosure in virtual relationships was associated with more trust while Korean PPs reported this led to less trust
  • Self disclosure was not a factor for Japanese PPs
  • Presents an issue of cultural bias as we assume self disclosure is viewed similarly with the same effects across cultures
  • Limits our generalisations to western cultures
• AO3 Virtual Relationships: Support for hyperpersonal

  • Hyperpersonal model predicts people are likely to be either 'hyper honest' or “hyper-dishonest” in their self disclosure
  • In online discussions people tended to ask questions which were direct and intimate which was very different to face to face discussions where the focus would be on small talk
  • Findings support the assertion that the way we self disclose online are designed to present ourselves in an exaggeratedly positive light which aids relationship formation
• AO3 Virtual Relationships: Lack of support for reduced cues

  • One limitation for reduced cues is that online non verbal cues are different instead of not existing
  • People use other cues such the style and timing of their message
  • Emoticons and acronyms are effective substitutes to facial expressions and tone
  • Theory is limited and virtual relationships can be just as intimate
• AO3 Virtual Relationships: Support for absence of gating

  • Shy, lonely and socially anxious people find virtual relationships especially valuable
  • This is because online they are able to express themselves more than they can in person
  • Relationships formed by 'shy' people online, 71% lasted 2 years compared to 49% formed by 'shy' people in person
  • Shy people do benefit online to be themselves more