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LAQ: To what extent does communication play a role in the formation of…
LAQ: To what extent does communication play a role in the formation of relationships?
1) Huang (2016)
Aim
: to examine the online self-disclosure habits of 333 Facebook users
Method:
participants were asked to answer a questionnaire regarding their experiences with Facebook measuring their social networking experience. They were asked about 3 major components of their online self-disclosure activity, emotional and informational support measures, and online social well-being
Result
: found that self-disclosure led to increased social support from other people on the social networking site, and also reported happiness and satisfaction from their online experience
Conclusion:
this study demonstrates how communication and self-disclosure may strengthen individual wellbeing, but also strength of bond between partners
Evaluation
:
however, this is online communication which prohibits body language, emotion, facial expression, and other crucial human communication indicators, affecting real attributes of how self-disclosure can imminently affect the individual
also
because
its online - relationships may be stilted and different to how they may be in real life, seeing other people comment, peer pressure, feeling the need to respond to acts of self-disclosure
not generalisable → taiwanese facebook users only, and may be affected by self-selection (people who have already stopped using facebook may have more negative opinions on its affects on personal relationships)
online ≠ real life communication
2) Callaghan et al (2013)
Aim
: consider differences between level of intimacy and depth in answers given in lab vs. non-lab conditions; they predicted that experimental evidence of self-disclosure may be skewed
Method
: conducted interviews in lab (online) and non-lab (real-life) conditions
Results
: there was significantly higher self-disclosure in lab interviews, with longer and more intimate responses. suggests that having a researcher present may influence responses of interviewee, stimulating more self-disclosure than in a more natural online setting that lacks a researcher
Conclusion
: this study demonstrates that research conditions such as the presence of the researcher may cause participants to display demand characteristics, therefore limiting the extent that research is able to authentically display the role of communication in formation of relationships.
because online and real-life communication is quite different, results of Huang cannot be generalised to real life
Evaluation
:
real life and being online
extent of intimacy was deeper when people are face to face.
according to SPT, self-disclosure leads to stronger bonds. however this is dependent on whether individuals are meeting in person or online.
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/e2b8/5641eb3c186f8c6a1838b83b073c6bf361b4.pdf?_ga=2.253023561.1992522097.1612335492-459582060.1612233237
Theories
social penetration theory
theory that as relationships develop over time, exchanges between individuals move from more shallow to more intimate levels
intimacy is characterized by greater discussion of emotions and feelings (self-doubt, self-worth, identity, insecurities, pride)
act of self-disclosure – people disclose more to those they like, and if someone discloses info to you, you tend to like them more
crucial in FORMING and MAINTAINING relationships - keeping that 'likeness'
Thesis
While research has shown that self-disclosure in communication can help form and strengthen relationships,
findings may have been influenced by the non-laboratory, online research conditions (
need to be more explicit)
Conclusion
Research from Huang and Callaghan shows that communication in the form of self-disclosure plays a role in the formation of relationships to a significant extent
online is NOT the same as in-person - extent of intimacy was deeper in-person - Huang's findings cannot be generalized
dependent on whether one person is meeting in-person or online, cautious of online social penetration theory, does not truly capture REAL interpersonal communication