Communications of the ACM - Special issue on computer graphics: state of the arts
Computer-mediated communication, de-individuation and group decision-making
International Journal of Man-Machine Studies - Computer-supported cooperative work and groupware. Part 1
The anonymity and proximity factors in group decision support systems
Decision Support Systems
Electronic Brainstorming: the Illusion of Productivity
Information Systems Research
A field experiment on GSS anonymity and group member status
HICSS '95 Proceedings of the 28th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences
Invoking social comparison to improve electronic brainstorming: beyond anonymity
Journal of Management Information Systems - Special section: Information technology and its organizational impact
Culture and anonymity in GSS meetings
Information management
Flaming in electronic communication
Decision Support Systems
Structured modeling group support systems: a product design theory
Information and Management
Identification of Comment Authorship in Anonymous Group Support Systems
Journal of Management Information Systems
Anger and flaming in computer-mediated negotiation among strangers
Decision Support Systems
Media, affect, concession, and agreement in negotiation: IM versus telephone
Decision Support Systems
Computers in Human Behavior
Knowledge Collaboration in Online Communities
Organization Science
Technostress: technological antecedents and implications
MIS Quarterly
Anonymous preference elicitation for requirements prioritization
ISMIS'12 Proceedings of the 20th international conference on Foundations of Intelligent Systems
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Anonymity is a fundamental concept in group support systems (GSS) research. It is expected to reduce fear of social disapproval and of evaluation, and to lower inhibition and censorship. This is believed to create an environment that improves participation and communication, that promotes more objective and honest evaluation of ideas, and that enhances the productivity of groups and their decision-making process. However, empirical evidence about what are the effects of anonymity in GSS is inconclusive. This paper argues that there are two main reasons for the lack of consistent findings. First is the fact that anonymity has been defined too narrowly as the nonidentification of participants when, in fact, the literature in social psychology suggests that anonymity is multidimensional and subjective in nature. Second is the fact that the effects of anonymity interacts with other situational variables, making its relation to disinhibition complex. This paper argues that one critical situational variable is the importance of social evaluation of group members. A measure of the new conceptualization of anonymity and of the importance of social evaluation is proposed and the results of a preliminary test are presented. A contingency approach for studying the effects of anonymity is presented and the implications for future research and for practice are discussed.