Virtual Relationships

• Virtual relationship

  a relationship where people are not physically present BUT communicate exclusively online

  • Face to face that lacks from computer mediated communication:
  • facial expression
  • emotional state
  • tone of voice
  • gestures
  • physical appearance
  • touch
  • body position
• Reduced cues theory

  Essentially the idea that CMC can be less effective than FTF

  • lacks cues such as physical appearance, facial experssion, tone of voice and emotional state that we find in FTF
  • self disclosure can be lacking as you are unlikely to reveal in an impersonal context
  • a lack of cues reduces a sense of individual identity and leads to someone being de-individuated
  • this can lead to becoming disinhibited when communicating with others which can explain the phenomenon of sexting
  • can lead to blunt and aggressive texting, along with a reluctance of self-disclosure
• A03- Reduced cues theory

  • Non verbal cues are not entirely missing from CMC
  • emojis
  • verbal cues
  • Can be indicated through the style and intimacy of message
  • short delay indicates intimacy
  • long delay indicates snub

  CHRONEMICS - study of people's handling of time in their interactions with others.
• Hyperpersonal model


  • Walther argues that online relationships have greater self disclosure and are more personal than face to face communication
  • CMC>FTF
  • can develop very quickly as self disclosure happens very early and then becomes more intimate and intense which is known as the boom phenomenon
  • excitement hard to sustain and can quickly come to an end known as the bust phenomenon
  • also suggests that a person has more time to manipulate their online image and present themselves an idealised way - "selective self-presentation"
• A03 - Hyperpersonal model


  Lack of support

  • a meta analysis of 25 studies compares the self disclosure in VRs and FTFs
  • shows no difference between the self disclosure of the two
  • challenges the HM which says that virtual r.s should lead to deeper and more s.d. than ftf
• Absence of gating


  • a gate is any obstacle to a r.s. forming
  • allows us to move away from distracting features such as what we look like and makes s.d. more frequent
  • allows r.s. to get off the ground faster
  • also allows people to fulfill the fantasy of becoming who they want to be online
• A03 - absence of gating


  • Facebook - useful for shy people
  • online relationships allow them to overcome the barriers of real life
  • BAKER AND OSWALD (2010)
  • 207 male and female students
  • took three measurements : shyness, facebook usage, friendship quality
  • shy students had a greater usage
• A03- absence of gating

  Real world application -

  • helps to explain character AI and recent suicide
  • CMC and FTF influence each other however Walther says that the theories fail to take into account that all relationships are multimodal and are not separate entities
  • monitoring conditions to use to keep safe for minors using the AI