Open AccessReflecting on Connecting: Meta‐Analysis of Differences Between Computer‐Mediated and Face‐to‐Face Self‐Disclosure
Author(s) -
Ruppel Erin K.,
Gross Clare,
Stoll Arrington,
Peck Brittnie S.,
Allen Mike,
Kim SangYeon
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of computer‐mediated communication
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.15
H-Index - 119
ISSN - 1083-6101
DOI - 10.1111/jcc4.12179
Subject(s) - self disclosure , context (archaeology) , psychology , task (project management) , computer mediated communication , face (sociological concept) , key (lock) , social psychology , computer science , the internet , world wide web , computer security , linguistics , paleontology , management , economics , philosophy , biology
Self‐disclosure is a key concept in computer‐mediated communication ( CMC ) theory and research, but disagreement exists about the impact of CMC , relative to face‐to‐face ( FtF ) communication, on self‐disclosure. We conducted a meta‐analysis of studies comparing self‐disclosure in CMC and FtF communication to summarize and clarify existing research. We also examined potential moderators of this difference—measure of self‐disclosure, study design (survey or experiment), interaction context (task or social), type of CMC (text‐based or video‐based), and interaction length. Overall, self‐disclosure was higher in FtF communication than in CMC . Measure of self‐disclosure, study design, and type of CMC moderated this difference. Findings suggest mixed support for predictions derived from key CMC theories and a need for CMC theory to more explicitly address self‐disclosure.