The impact of anonymity on weblog credibility
International Journal of Human-Computer Studies
Real-time collaborative editing behavior in USA and Japanese distributed teams
Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Social intelligence design for knowledge circulation
DNIS'10 Proceedings of the 6th international conference on Databases in Networked Information Systems
Review: Cross-cultural analysis in online community research: A literature review
Computers in Human Behavior
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Communication on the Internet is often described as “anonymous”, yet the usage of the term is often confusing, even in academia. Three levels of anonymity, visual anonymity, dissociation of real and online identities, and lack of identifiability, are thought to have different effects on various components of interpersonal motivation. Specifically, we propose that cross-cultural differences in interpersonal motivation (autonomy vs. affiliation) are illustrated by choices individuals make when deciding whether or not to remain anonymous while communicating online. Autonomy is often valued in Western societies, whereas Eastern societies tend to emphasize affiliation, suggesting that individuals in Western societies will gravitate toward online communities that allow lower levels of anonymity, while individuals in Eastern societies will be more likely to seek out online communities that promote higher levels of anonymity. The research presented in this article supports this notion, suggesting that we need to consider cultural differences when designing online communication systems and other communications technologies.