When studying relationships that begin on the Internet, Parks and Floyd conducted a study to measure social communication and relationship development on the Internet. Breath, the limited amount of communication topics and depth, how much one chooses to reveal about each topic, were found to overlap in the Internet relationships. Other measures in the study focus on relationship commitment, (eg. “the two of us depend on each other”), code change (eg. “We have special nicknames what we just use with each other”), predictability (eg. “I do not know this person very will”), commitment (eg. “This relationship is a big part of who I am”), and network convergence, (eg. “We have overlapping social circles on the Net”) The participants in Parks and Floyds study had been in an on-line relationship for an average of 9.63 months and they reported “moderate levels or breath and depth.”
SPT predicts that relationship development is a continuous and usually a gradual process. Self-disclosure in social interactions moves from superficial to more personal levels, increased levels of depth, and the partners divulge information about a wider range if topics, breadth, and the relationship progresses.
What constitutes an on-line relationship in the Parks and Floyd study? Does that mean they have never met in person at all? Does it mean they met that way but now see each other frequently in person? Is it somewhere in the middle? Does it make any mention of what level of depth a more standard relationship would be at after 9-10 months?
ReplyDeleteDo you think the gradual rate of development in a relationship would be increased or decreased when comparing an on-line relationship to a more standard relationship?
I believe Parks and Floyd's idea of on-line relationships means they met on the Internet and continued their relationship through the Internet, not in person.
ReplyDeleteI think that the gradual rate of development in a relationship would increase and decrease in different ways in an on-line relationship. I would increase when going through the initial stages and the initial information about each other (aka the outer layers of the onion). Then it could go either way after that. It could decrease when it gets to the more in depth material such as beliefs and fears because it is hard to truly express your inner-most feelings over a computer-mediated medium. However, some relationships could speed up this way because he or she feels more comfortable sharing personal information when he or she is not face to face. What do you think?
Yeah, I think I can see it both ways, which is kind of why I asked the question. As I thought about the development in a relationship it didn't seem as likely to me that an on-line relationship would develop in the same way that a typical one would. The initial stages of development may very well be increased simply by the fact that in general people use computers quite a bit every day. That grants more access to getting to know some of the more basic things about a person. In contrast, in the beginning of a typical relationship if you are only really communicating with someone when you see him or her, it might take longer to get through those beginning stages.
ReplyDeleteI guess as the depth of a relationship's development increases, the rate at which is does so may simply depend on the kind of people are involved. I could see a situation where someone is sitting at their computer pouring out their deepest and darkest secrets and desires with the knowledge that they could easily pull the plug on the computer and end the conversation instantly. However, there are likely cases where someone might not be able to really express their feelings on a subject due to the limitations of computers, as you said.