The anonymity of online support forums presents both benefits and challenges for online supportive communication. This study investigates how support seekers' verbal disclosure of emotions and gender cues in their user profiles may affect viewers' intended support provision. Participants were asked to view a mockup page containing a support seeker's profile along with a support-seeking post. They were then instructed to complete a survey on their appraisal of the support seeker and their intentions to provide support to him/her. The study found that compared to support seekers who made limited emotional disclosures, those with high levels of emotional disclosures were perceived as more legitimate to seek support online, which, in turn, enhanced viewers' intentions to provide that support. Further, gender-ambiguous support seekers were more likely to be attributed females if they made more rather than fewer emotional disclosures. However, support seekers' gender cues did not moderate the impact of emotional disclosures on viewers' intentions to provide emotional support. Implications of the findings are discussed.
机构:
Beijing Normal Univ, Psychol Educ & Counseling Ctr, Beijing, Peoples R ChinaBeijing Normal Univ, Psychol Educ & Counseling Ctr, Beijing, Peoples R China
Zhang, Yingjun
Huang, Heliang
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Beijing Normal Univ, Fac Psychol, Beijing, Peoples R ChinaBeijing Normal Univ, Psychol Educ & Counseling Ctr, Beijing, Peoples R China
Huang, Heliang
Tang, Daisheng
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机构:
Beijing Jiaotong Univ, Sch Econ & Management, Beijing, Peoples R ChinaBeijing Normal Univ, Psychol Educ & Counseling Ctr, Beijing, Peoples R China
Tang, Daisheng
Lu, Xiaohua
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Beijing Jiaotong Univ, Counseling Ctr, Beijing, Peoples R ChinaBeijing Normal Univ, Psychol Educ & Counseling Ctr, Beijing, Peoples R China
Lu, Xiaohua
Fan, Fumin
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Tsinghua Univ, Dept Psychol, Beijing, Peoples R ChinaBeijing Normal Univ, Psychol Educ & Counseling Ctr, Beijing, Peoples R China
Fan, Fumin
Pan, Jingyi
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Beijing Normal Univ, Fac Psychol, Beijing, Peoples R ChinaBeijing Normal Univ, Psychol Educ & Counseling Ctr, Beijing, Peoples R China