PsyPost
No Result
View All Result
PsyPost
No Result
View All Result
Home Exclusive Social Psychology

People who conceal information in their day-to-day lives are more willing to form online relationships

by Eric W. Dolan
February 22, 2022
in Social Psychology
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

A new study suggests that a person’s openness to forming online relationships is associated with their tendency to conceal personal information about themselves. The research has been published in the journal Personal Relationships.

“In general, I’m fascinated with personality and individual differences associated with concealing versus disclosing private information,” said study author Madeleine T. D’Agata, a scientist at Defence Research and Development Canada.

“This research, specifically, examined what types of people are more likely to disclose online, in a more anonymous context. It was conducted to better understand how future work can better promote community resilience against deception online, since disclosure can put individuals at a greater risk for being exploited online.”

D’Agata and her colleagues conducted two studies with 432 North American adults in total.

The researchers first developed a questionnaire to measure of the willingness to develop relationships with strangers online. The measure asked participants the extent to which they agreed with statements such as “I can very easily feel a closeness to people I have only met online” and “I find it more enjoyable to talk to people I do not know well online instead of in person.”

D’Agata and her colleagues then tested how the measure was related to people’s actual willingness to share personal information. Participants were asked to imagine they were chatting with a stranger on the internet as they wrote three topics: a time they felt embarrassed, something they had lied about, and something surprising about themselves that even their closest friends did not know. They then indicated how embarrassed they were, how serious the lie was, and how private the information was.

Participants with a greater openness to forming online relationships tended to disclose more serious lies. Surprisingly, however, these participants were also more likely to agree with statements such as “I have an important secret I haven’t shared with anyone” and “My secrets are too embarrassing to share with others” — indicating a higher level of self-concealment.

“The research found that certain individuals are less likely to withhold private information online. For instance, people who typically conceal private information in their day-to-day lives were actually more likely to disclose in our study,” D’Agata told PsyPost.

But why were participants with a greater tendency to conceal information about themselves more open to forming online relationships? “We suspect that this greater willingness to form online relationships is related to the role that self-concealment might play in impression management during online interactions,” the researchers explained. “Those who conceal negative information about themselves in their normal interactions with others may also do so in online contexts in order to take control of the image they portray, thereby enhancing their ability to form relationships online.”

The researchers also found that participants who scored high on a measure of dark personality traits (narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism) were more likely to disclose lies of a more serious nature. “Individuals who are more manipulative and cynical were also less cautious and more likely to reveal private information,” D’Agata said.

But she also noted that “participants completed a hypothetical self-disclosure task in our study. It would be useful to understand if similar findings emerge when the disclosure is real, including having the potential for real-life consequences.”

The study, “Psychological factors related to self-disclosure and relationship formation in the online environment“, was authored by Madeleine T. D’Agata, Peter J. Kwantes, and Ronald R. Holden.

ShareTweetSendScanShareSharePin8Send

Get all the latest updates on new psychology research with the free PsyPost app.
 


NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP

STAY CONNECTED

TRENDING

Body dysmorphic disorder linked to deficits in cognitive flexibility and visuospatial skills

Tattoos and piercings are more common among those who experienced childhood abuse and neglect

Shyness linked to reduced behavioral mimicry during conversation via heightened self-focused attention

Scientists discover an illusion that is strong enough to trick our reflexes

Gender-neutral text perceived as less comprehensible than gendered text in Polish, study finds

Women’s own body dissatisfaction appears to influence their judgment of other women’s body sizes

RECENT

Women who take hormonal contraceptives show superior object memory, study finds

New psychology research indicates that partisan biases can promote false memories

Gender-neutral text perceived as less comprehensible than gendered text in Polish, study finds

Exercise enhances our enjoyment of music, possibly through increased arousal

Study indicates that thin influencers do not motivate healthy food choices among tweens

  • Cognitive Science
  • COVID-19
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Drug Research
  • Conspiracy Theories
  • Meditation
  • Psychology of Religion
  • Aviation Psychology and Human Factors
  • Relationships and Sexual Health
Powered by

About

PsyPost is a psychology and neuroscience news website dedicated to reporting the latest research on human behavior, cognition, and society. (READ MORE...)

  • Contact us
  • Privacy policy

No Result
View All Result
  • About
    • Newsletter signup form
  • Cart
  • Checkout
  • Contact
  • Contact us
  • My account
  • Privacy policy
  • Psychology news
  • PsyPost app privacy policy
  • Shop
  • SmartMag Home

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used.