Misrepresentation in Online Personals: Which Teenagers Lie?

• In Event: Poster Session 18
  In Poster Session: Contemporary Issues in Computers and Internet Applications in Education

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships among adolescents’ online misrepresentation, self-disclosure, cyber-relationship motivation and loneliness. Survey study was conducted on sample consisted of 618 Taiwanese adolescents. Instruments included four scales. Findings indicated 45.9% of the respondents admit to having online deception experience while 4.4% report prevalent online misrepresentation. Besides, not all constructs of independent variables are associated with online misrepresentation. Only accuracy and valence of self-disclosure, easier communication, emotional support, away from the real world and sexual partners of cyber-relationship motivation and loneliness are associated with specific constructs of online misrepresentation. Regression analyses suggested all constructs of self-disclosure in real-life as well as anonymity and emotional support of cyber-relationship motivation have moderate explanatory power for online self-disclosure.

Authors

• Chiao Ling Huang, Institute of Education - National Sun Yat-sen University

• Shu Ching Yang, National Sun Yat-Sen University

• An Sing Chen, National Chung Cheng University