Virtual Relationships in Social Media

• Hyper-personal Model:

  :( RTC Ruppal

  > meta-analysis of 25 studies that compared self-disclosure in face to face and virtual relationships using self-report methods - frequency, breadth and depth of self-disclosure were all greater in face to face relationships

  > contradicts the hyper-personal model

  discussion - social desirability bias (limits the extent that the research can be used to criticise the model)
• Absence of Gating:

  :) RTS McKenna and Barge

  > investigated online communication by lonely and socially anxious people - 71% of their relationships formed online lasted at least 2 years, compared to 49% of relationships formed by shy people in person

  > supports absence of gating
• Absence of Gating:

  :( multi-modal relationships

  > theory fails to take into account that all relationships are multi-modal - they are maintained both online and offline

  > what we choose to disclose in virtual relationships is influenced by our offline interactions, suggesting that the relationship between absence of gating and self-disclosure in virtual relationships is more complex