virtual relationships

• INTRO

  • virtual relationships = online and don't consist of ftf interactions
  • virtual relationships take self-disclosure to a new dimension as the usual restrictions in a ftf interaction aren't there
  • the reduced cues theory suggests the reasons why people act the way they do in VR's
  • no behavioural signals - body language or facial expressions
  • deindividuation can occur whereby a person hides behind screen and sense of self is somewhat lost
  • this can can result in a lack of inhibition - they feel free to express themselves in ways which they would not use in a FtF encounter
• HYPER-PERSONAL MODEL - Walther

  • suggests that relationships develop quickly in vr's and can also end quickly - known as 'boom and bust phenomenon'
  • Initial self-disclosure is high because partners can be selective about what information they choose to display or disclose i.e. selective self- penetration.
  • However, 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.
  • the anonymity associated with VR's makes breakups easier as there is less emotional involvement, and people can ghost
• ABSENCE OF GATING - any obstacle/barrier preventing a relationship from developing

  • not present in virtual relationships. means barriers such as shyness/appearance are not present as people can use avatars etc to hide appearance. this means stressors involved in striking a conversation are removed
  • Absence of gating encourages self-disclosure with its veil of anonymity and allows people to express themselves in ways that FtF encounters have not afforded them e.g creatively
  • VR's can become real life relationships ; any superficial gates which might previously have blocked relationship are gone
• + There is research evidence by Whitty and Johnson supporting some of the core principles/assumptions of the hyperpersonal model. Online communications, due to a lack of nonverbal cues, often feature ‘direct’ questions, as opposed to the small-talk which features in face-to-face relationships. 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. this enhances the validity of the hyperpersonal model
• — 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, as suggested by Walther. 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. Therefore theory lacks temporal validity and mundane realism