Virtual relationships

• self-disclosure in virtual relationships

  virtual relationships may involve less self-disclosure than face-to-face relationships
• reduced cues theory

  verbal and nonverbal cues are lacking so people lose their sense of identity (de-individuation) and their behaviour may become aggressive
• hyperpersonal model

  people online control their self-presentation and select what to disclose

  can be greater than FtF

  hyperhonest or hyperdishonest
• absence of gating

  there are fewer obstacles to forming a virtual relationship because physical and social factors are less influential online so attention is focused on self-disclosure
• strength - research support

  McKenna and Bargh looked at online communication by shy, lonely, and socially anxious people. They found that these people were able to express their ‘true selves’ more than in FtF situations. Of the romantic relationships that initially formed by shy people online, 71% survived at least two years. This compares well with relationships for shy people formed in the offline world which is around 49%.
• limitation - conflicting research evidence

  Ruppel et al. carried out a meta-analysis of 25 studies that compared self-disclosures in FtF and virtual relationships. They found that self-report studies showed that the frequency, breadth, and depth of self-disclosures were all greater in FtF relationships. But experimental studies showed no significant differences between FtF and virtual relationships in terms of self-disclosure.
• limitation - alternative cues

  Research by Walther and Tidwell found that people in online interactions use other cues, such as style and timing of messages. For example, taking time to reply to a social media status update may be a more intimate act than an immediate response. But taking too much time could be interpreted as a snub. So, there are nuances in virtual relationships that are just as subtle as in FtF relationships. Acronyms (e.g., LOL), emoticons and emojis can all be used as effective substitutes for facial expressions and tone of voice.
• limitation - type of self-disclosure

  Whitty and Joinson summarise evidence showing that the type of self-disclosure is different in virtual relationships. For example, questions asked in online discussions tend to be very direct, probing, and intimate (hyperhonest). This is quite different from FtF conversations, which often feature small talk. Self-disclosures online can also be hyperdishonest, for instance when people invent attractive personal qualities for their online dating profiles.