Evaluation of Reduced Cues & Hyperpersonal
Psychology: AQA A Level, topic 9.3.2
Criticisms of Reduced Cues Theory
There is a lack of research support for reduced cues theory. Many studies challenge it.
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.
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.
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 online relationships.
Support for the Hyperpersonal Model
There is a great deal of research support for the hyperpersonal model.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
Test yourself on Evaluation of Reduced Cues & Hyperpersonal
Which is NOT a finding of Whitty and Joinson (2009) ?
McKenna and Bargh (2000) found what percentage of romantic relationships that initially formed online lasted over two years?