9.3.2

Evaluation of Reduced Cues & Hyperpersonal

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Criticisms of Reduced Cues Theory

There is a lack of research support for reduced cues theory. Many studies challenge it.

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CMC non-verbal cues

  • Reduced cues theory is incorrect in its suggestion that non-verbal cues are entirely missing from computer-mediated communication (CMC).
  • They are different rather than absent.
  • Walther and Tidwell (1995) say that people in online interactions use other cues, such as style and timing of their messages.
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Walther and Tidwell (1995)

  • For example, taking a bit more time to reply to a social media status update or message is often interpreted as more intimate than an immediate response because it implies more thought has gone into it.
  • But if too much time is left, it could be perceived as a snub.
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CMC emotional cues

  • CMC also use other methods to convey emotion and replace facial expressions, such as acronyms (e.g. LOL), emoticons and emojis.
  • Reduced cues theory struggles to explain the success of such online communication where CMC interactions can be just as personal as those conducted face-to-face and have proved that it’s possible to express emotional states in virtual relationships.

Support for the Hyperpersonal Model

There is a great deal of research support for the hyperpersonal model.

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Whitty and Joinson (2009)

  • Whitty and Joinson (2009) summarise a wealth of evidence supporting the basic premise of the hyperpersonal model.
    • For example, questions asked in online discussions tend to be very direct, probing and intimate and responses are likewise direct and to the point.
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Traits

  • This is different from face-to-face conversations which often involve a lot of small talk.
  • These findings support the central assertion of the model - that self-disclosure in computer-mediated communication (CMC) relationships is designed to present ourselves in a more positive light.
  • This helps relationship formation.
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Different types of CMC

  • There are many different types of CMC. People will use these in different ways, including the depth of self-disclosure.
  • For example, people self disclose more in their Facebook status updates than they are willing to in an online e-commerce web form, when they are quite reluctant to disclose information they consider to be private (Paine et al. 2006).
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Online and offline relationships

  • Walther (2011) argues that any theory seeking to explain CMC, including the role of self-disclosure, needs to accommodate the fact that our relationships are generally conducted both online and offline through many different media.
  • In the case of social networking sites, people who interact with each other generally have relationships in the offline world.
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Anticipation of future meetings

  • Similarly, self-disclosure in online dating is reduced because both communicators anticipate future meetings face-to-face (FtF) in the offline world.
  • This is a consideration that generally doesn’t exist in chat rooms and on gaming sites, which proves the existence of different types of CMC.
Illustrative background for Support for absence of gatingIllustrative background for Support for absence of gating ?? "content

Support for absence of gating

  • There is support for absence of gating in CMC.
  • McKenna and Bargh (2000) investigated CMC use by lonely and socially anxious people.
  • They found that such people were able to express their true selves more than in face-to-face situations.
  • Of the romantic relationships that initially formed online, 70% survived more than two years. This is a higher proportion than relationships formed in the offline world.

Jump to other topics

1Social Influence

2Memory

3Attachment

4Psychopathology

5Approaches in Psychology

6Biopsychology

7Research Methods

8Issues & Debates in Psychology (A2 only)

9Option 1: Relationships (A2 only)

10Option 1: Gender (A2 only)

11Option 1: Cognition & Development (A2 only)

12Option 2: Schizophrenia (A2 only)

13Option 2: Eating Behaviour (A2 only)

14Option 2: Stress (A2 only)

15Option 3: Aggression (A2 only)

16Option 3: Forensic Psychology (A2 only)

17Option 3: Addiction (A2 only)

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