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Comparing online and offline self-disclosure: a systematic review
Melanie Nguyen1, Yu Sun Bin, Andrew Campbell
1Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. melanie.nguyen@sydney.edu.au
Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking
|October 29, 2011
Summary
Online communication does not always lead to greater self-disclosure than offline interactions. Context and relationship factors significantly influence personal information sharing in both online and offline settings.
Area of Science:
- Communication Studies
- Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- The common assumption is that online communication facilitates greater self-disclosure than offline communication.
- This assumption is challenged by existing theoretical and empirical research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review studies comparing online and offline self-disclosure.
- To evaluate the evidence supporting current theories of online communication.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of dyadic interaction studies comparing online and offline self-disclosure.
- Analysis of factors moderating disclosure levels.
Main Results:
- Self-disclosure was not consistently higher in online contexts compared to offline.
- Relationship, communication mode, and interaction context were identified as key moderators.
- Existing theories of online communication received some empirical support.
Conclusions:
- The assumption of greater online self-disclosure is not consistently supported.
- A need exists for a unified communication theory to explain disclosure across online and offline contexts.
- Further research should explore the interplay of contextual factors in self-disclosure.
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