Online Disinhibition Effect

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The online disinhibition effect ( German  , online disinhibition effect ' ) called in psychology a loss of self-control in the written communication in the Internet . Online communication is uninhibited .

properties

While some people in the written communication on the Internet to increased empathy tend ( benign disinhibition), occur in contrast with some other people increasingly sarcasm , coarse language , overt criticism , hate comments , disrespect , lack of empathy and cyberbullying on ( toxic disinhibition ). Often these reactions are unprovoked and unjustified.

causes

Online disinhibition is based on various factors:

  • The anonymity on the Internet enables the use of an alternative identity, such as a pseudonym . This form of dissociative anonymity enables a detachment from the moral notions of their identity in everyday life. In addition, an avatar can be created on the Internet that is even further detached from the rest of the personality ( dissociative imagination ). Likewise, the participant in the discussion is perceived less as a person and more as an avatar, which can reduce empathy.
  • Communication takes place asynchronously . An answer does not have to be given immediately and the effects of online sanctions can also be partially avoided by being absent.
  • The physical invisibility of the person leads to a lack of non-verbal communication , such as facial expressions , gestures and intonation, as well as the lack of a visible reaction from the other person . This can decrease empathy. In addition, an image and a voice of the other person is generated in your own imagination, which comes from yourself ( solipsistic introjection ).
  • The increasing use of technology and media in everyday life can reduce empathy.
  • There is a minimization of status and authority on the Internet , because both are initially not recognizable, which can lead to disinhibition in communication.

The personality of the communicator has an impact on online communication. While extrovert and theatrical ( histrionic ) people tend to be open and emotional, obsessive-compulsive people tend to be more reserved. Likewise, the cultural and social background, the level of education, the age and the gender have an influence on the online disinhibition.

Benign and toxic online disinhibition

Benign online disinhibition describes situations in which people benefit from the lack of restraint on the Internet. With the help of internet anonymity, people could share personal feelings or reveal themselves in ways they don't want to do in real life. Young people feel relieved when they reveal unspoken secrets or personally embarrassing details in online chats. Such self-revelations allow people to develop intimate interpersonal relationships faster and stronger than they would face-to-face in the real world. Familiarity with the medium used (PC and website) also lowers the inhibition threshold for making statements to strangers. Other positive effects of online benign disinhibition include counseling strangers, volunteering, sharing emotions, philanthropic behavior, and emotional support. The online disinhibition effect also caters to people who are unwilling to communicate in the real world, such as B. People who are introverted, shy, socially phobic, and people with stuttering or hearing impairment have the opportunity to express themselves.

Another type of online disinhibition is called toxic disinhibition, which often involves hostile language, cursing and even threats, as well as increased acting out of anger , defamation , emotional blackmail , online flaming , disruption of communication, impersonating another person, flooding with Contains comments and sabotage . The toxic online disinhibition describes the negative effects of the loss of inhibition on the Internet. The resulting antisocial behaviors not only appear on various online platforms such as blogs, hate websites, and comment sections, but also exist in various forms, including cyberbullying and social lazing around, for example . An accumulation of toxic online disinhibition was in gaming described range, where those who toxic online disinhibition live as Hater ( English for haters are called). Online disinhibition is one of the causes of trolls on the internet.

However, the distinction between benign and toxic online disinhibition is not always clear. For example, a hostile word in online chat can damage the self-image of the other, but on the other hand it can also be a therapeutic breakthrough for the uttering person. Given the different subcultures of online communities, people can have different levels of tolerance for certain social behavior. A correlation between online disinhibition and internet addiction has been described, especially among students . In addition, there is a correlation between the observation of online disinhibition and the subsequent practice of online hatred, which is why early intervention is recommended.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j J. Suler: The online disinhibition effect. In: Cyberpsychology & behavior: the impact of the Internet, multimedia and virtual reality on behavior and society. Volume 7, Number 3, June 2004, pp. 321-326, doi : 10.1089 / 1094931041291295 , PMID 15257832 .
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h C. Terry, J. Cain: The Emerging Issue of Digital Empathy. In: American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education . Volume 80, number 4, May 2016, p. 58, doi : 10.5688 / ajpe80458 , PMID 27293225 , PMC 4891856 (free full text).
  3. ↑ Nafsika Antoniadou, Constantinos M. Kokkinos, Angelos Markos: Possible common correlates between bullying and cyber-bullying among adolescents. In: Psicologia Educativa. 22, 2016, p. 27, doi : 10.1016 / j.pse.2016.01.003 .
  4. ↑ a b B. J. Voggeser, RK Singh, AS Göritz: Self-control in Online Discussions: Disinhibited Online Behavior as a Failure to Recognize Social Cues. In: Frontiers in psychology. Volume 8, 2017, p. 2372, doi : 10.3389 / fpsyg.2017.02372 , PMID 29375457 , PMC 5768638 (free full text).
  5. ↑ a b Noam Lapidot-Lefler, Azy Barak: Effects of anonymity, invisibility, and lack of eye-contact on toxic online disinhibition. In: Computers in Human Behavior , Volume 28, Issue 2, March 2012, pp. 434–443.
  6. ^ Yair Amichai-Hamburger: The Social Net. ISBN 978-0-199-63954-0 . ( limited preview in Google Book search).
  7. ↑ K. Magsamen-Conrad, C. Billotte-Verhoff, K. Greene: Technology addiction's contribution to mental wellbeing: The positive effect of online social capital. In: Computers in human behavior. Volume 40, November 2014, pp. 23-30, doi : 10.1016 / j.chb.2014.07.014 , PMID 25568591 , PMC 4283587 (free full text).
  8. ↑ K. Davis: Friendship 2.0: adolescents' experiences of belonging and self-disclosure online. In: Journal of adolescence. Volume 35, Number 6, December 2012, pp. 1527-1536, doi : 10.1016 / j.adolescence.2012.02.013 , PMID 22475444 .
  9. ^ Noam Lapidot-Lefler, Azy Barak: The benign online disinhibition effect: Could situational factors induce self-disclosure and prosocial behaviors? . In: Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace . 9, No. 2, July 1, 2015, ISSN  1802-7962 . doi : 10.5817 / cp2015-2-3 .
  10. ↑ Jane Evans: Online Counseling and Guidance Skills. ISBN 978-1-446-24424-1 , p. 71 ( limited preview in Google book search).
  11. ↑ a b Azy Barak: Psychological Aspects of Cyberspace. ISBN 0521873010 , p. 135 ( limited preview in Google book search).
  12. ^ Lisa Dawley: The Tools for Successful Online Teaching. ISBN 1591409578 ( limited preview in Google Book Search).
  13. ^ Carrie Goldberg: Nobody's Victim. ISBN 978-0-349-01051-9 , p. 260 ( limited preview in Google book search).
  14. ↑ Irene Connolly, Marion Palmer, Hannah Barton, Gráinne Kirwan: An Introduction to Cyberpsychology. ISBN 978-1-317-58452-0 , p. 59 ( limited preview in Google book search).
  15. ^ J. Morahan-Martin, P. Schumacher: Incidence and correlates of pathological Internet use among college students . In: Computers in Human Behavior . 16, No. 1, January 31, 2000, ISSN  0747-5632 , pp. 13-29. doi : 10.1016 / S0747-5632 (99) 00049-7 .
  16. ^ Katie Niemz, Mark Griffiths, Phil Banyard: Prevalence of Pathological Internet Use among University Students and Correlations with Self-Esteem, the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), and Disinhibition . In: CyberPsychology & Behavior . 8, No. 6, December 1, 2005, ISSN  1094-9313 , pp. 562-570. doi : 10.1089 / cpb.2005.8.562 . PMID 16332167 .
  17. ^ S. Wachs, MF Wright: Associations between Bystanders and Perpetrators of Online Hate: The Moderating Role of Toxic Online Disinhibition. In: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Volume 15, number 9, 09 2018, p., Doi : 10.3390 / ijerph15092030 , PMID 30227666 , PMC 6163978 (free full text).
  18. ^ S. Wachs, MF Wright, AT Vazsonyi: Understanding the overlap between cyberbullying and cyberhate perpetration: Moderating effects of toxic online disinhibition. In: Criminal behavior and mental health: CBMH. Volume 29, Number 3, June 2019, pp. 179-188, doi : 10.1002 / cbm.2116 , PMID 31274229 .