Virtual relationships

• Keisler and Sproull (1986),through their Reduced Cues theory, suggests that computer-mediated communication relationships may have poorer levels of intimacy and delayed self-disclosure because some of the vital cues present in face-to-face relationships, (eg - facial expressions and voice intonation), leading to the de-individuation of each partner. Therefore, to act as a compromise for the lack of cues, one or both individuals are likely to be excessively blunt or impersonal, which also reduces the likelihood of future self-disclosure and early intimacy within the relationship.
• Cooper and Sportolari (1997) created the hyperpersonal model, suggesting that online relationships develop and end at a much higher rate than face-to-face relationships through their idea of a ‘boom and bust phenomenon’. Initial self-disclosure is high because partners can be selective about what information they choose to disclose (selective self penetration).
• The hyperpersonal model CONT:

  A lack of personal cues means that trust and intimacy is not built at the same rate as self-disclosure, so these exchanges are not reciprocal. Bargh said the anonymity associated with online dating means that each individual takes less responsibility for their behaviour and so the break-up and build-up of the relationship is less personal.
• McKenna and Bargh (1999) created gating, which refers to the reasons as to why we may choose one person over another as a potential partner. An absence of gating may explain why the rate of progression of online relationships is greater than relationships in real-life (if each individual is selective about how they present themselves online, then there are fewer ‘gates’ and so effectively fewer reasons not to choose a particular individual to start a relationship with).
• Strengths of virtual relationships:

  • Research supporting the hyperpersonal model - Whitty and Johnson suggested online communications, due to the apparent lack of nonverbal cues, often feature ‘direct’ questions, as opposed to the small-talk in face-to-face relationships. Therefore, this suggests that we are more likely to self-disclose in virtual relationships because we can be selective as to what information we reveal about ourselves, and so use self-disclosure to further improve the way that a potential partner views us.
• Strengths of virtual relationships:

  • Research supporting the absence of gating - McKenna and Bargh studied online communication by shy and socially anxious people. In this group, 71% of the romantic relationships initially formed online survived more than 2 years, compared to 49% formed offline ( studied by Kirkpatrick and Davis). This suggests that shy people do benefit online presumably because the gating that obstructs face-to-face relationships is absent online.
• Limitations of virtual relationships:

  • Lacks ecological validity - Walther suggested the theories of self-disclosure and absence of gating in virtual relationships may lack ecological validity because they may not be able to explain all the course of modern-age relationships, which is often a mixture of virtual and face-to-face elements. Individuals often feel the pressure to portray themselves in the same way as they have online as in real-life, and so this interaction may offset the effects of fewer gates and self-disclosure in virtual relationships.
• Limitations of virtual relationships:

  • Walther and Tidwell suggested that although virtual relationships may still share the similarity of featuring nonverbal signals. This includes the use of emojis, acronyms and nonverbal cues which are specific to online communications, (eg - length, timing and tone of the message). This refutes the central assumption of the reduces cues theory that online relationships may suffer due to being impersonal and featuring few cues, considering that a large number of successful modern relationships begin online.