Getting back what you put in: the perceived reality of online interactions

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Clark, Jenna Leigh
- Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience

Abstract

Past research on the consequences of online social interactions demonstrates a wealth of contradictions; however, incorporating attitudes as a predictor of specific online behaviors may clarify when online interactions are beneficial and when they are detrimental. Study 1 examined the perceived reality of online interactions (PROI; the extent to which an individual views online interactions as suitable for the maintenance and formation of close relationships) as a predictor of perceived social support from online sources. Although PROI was not successfully experimentally manipulated, it was a significant predictor of perceived social support from online sources across both student and Amazon Mechanical Turk populations. A second experiment manipulated PROI to examine its effect on expected positive outcomes in a hypothetical online interaction. Measured PROI but not manipulated PROI significantly influenced expected positive outcomes, and this effect was mediated via willingness to self-disclose and to provide social support.

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