Identity Shift in Computer-Mediated Environments

Abstract

The present study uses a public commitment framework to examine how computer-mediated self-presentations can alter identities. Participants were asked to present with one of two traits, extroversion or introversion, in public or private computer-mediated communication. Public presentations were online, whereas private presentations took place in a text document. Only participants that presented themselves publicly internalized the trait presentation, suggesting that identity shift took place. Public self-presentations also contained more certain and definite forms of language than private self-presentations, suggesting that audiences evoke a more committed form of self-presentation. The findings in this research have important implications for the self-construction of identity online, particularly for individuals that use the Internet as a tool for public self-presentation, such as dating sites, social network sites, or blogs. Also, the findings highlight opportunities for theoretical development on identity construction as a function of computer-mediated communication.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors are grateful to Jon Amoona, Robin Kornet, and Marina Yoffe for their assistance in conducting the experiment and to Joe Walther and Geri Gay for comments on a previous draft.

Notes

¹ Although many different terms have been employed to refer to the notion of self-concept, the nuances of the term are not the focus of this study (see Swann, Chang-Schneider, & McClarty, 2007) for a thorough review of the construct). We explore changes in a particular self-concept, which we consider to be a component of a more global self-view. However, because “self” often is understood as “identity” in Internet research, we use the terms synonymously.