How Social Context Cues in Online Support-Seeking Influence Self-Disclosure in Support Provision

Abstract

Research on online support has largely overlooked the role of self-disclosure in support provision. By manipulating the level of social context cues in a support-seeker’s online profile, this study examined how social context cues affected a support-provider’s self-disclosure in an online support forum. Results of the experiment supported the “social context cues—perceived social presence—trust—self-disclosure” model with regard to descriptive self-disclosure but not with regard to evaluative self-disclosure.

Keywords::

• Descriptive Self-Disclosure
• Evaluative Self-Disclosure
• Online Support
• Social Context Cues
• Social Presence
• Support-Provision
• Support-Seeking
• Trust
• User Profile

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Siyue Li

Siyue (April) Li (Ph.D., University of California, Davis, 2015) is an assistant professor in the School of Communication at The Ohio State University.

Bo Feng

Bo Feng (Ph.D., Purdue University, 2006) is an associate professor in the Department of Communication at the University of California, Davis.

Na Li

Na Li (M.A., University of California, Davis, 2013) was a graduate student in the Department of Communication at University of California, Davis.

Xuan Tan

Xuan Tan (M.A., University of California, Davis, 2011) was a graduate student in the Department of Communication at the University of California–Davis.