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The Online Presentation of Self: Re-examining Goffman's Presentation of Self Across Contemporary CMC Contexts

Kuznekoff, Jeffrey H.

Abstract Details

2012, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, Communication Studies (Communication).

The focus of this dissertation is the examination of Goffman’s presentation of self as it takes place in contemporary online contexts. Past research has thoroughly examined Goffman’s notion of self-presentation or impression management. Indeed, the field of communication, as well as other scholarly fields, holds Goffman’s work as a major theoretical framework that continues to guide modern scholarly inquiry. For example, scholars have used his theoretical framework to help explain self-presentation as it unfolds in computer-mediated communication (CMC) contexts. That said, this research has typically used older forms of CMC that are no longer widely used.

In order to examine online impression management, this dissertation reviews prior scholarly work, beyond Goffman, to lay the groundwork for focused study of online self- presentation. Scholars from psychology have developed a series of impression management strategies that can be used to engage in impression management. In particular, when engaging in impression management people can enact different levels of five strategies: self-promotion, ingratiation, exemplification, intimidation, and supplication. Using a measure of these impression management strategies, this study assessed how frequently people engage in these strategies in both face-to-face and CMC interactions. In addition, the current study provides a justification for using a series of independent variables that past research has identified as influencing communication in online contexts: perceived importance, expectation of future interaction, anonymity, and social presence. These variables have not, collectively, been used to study online impression management.

Using an online survey, this study recruited participants from three online contexts to complete measures that tap into the dependent and independent variables. A total of 195 people participated in data collection. Results indicate that face-to-face impression management strategies differ from those used in CMC contexts. In addition, online impression management does vary based on CMC context. Regression analysis indicates that perceived importance, anonymity and expectation of future interaction each served as significant predictors of online impression management strategies and can account for substantial variance in many of the strategies. Future studies should use these variables when examining online impression management and/or CMC.

Laura Black (Advisor)

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Kuznekoff, J. H. (2012). The Online Presentation of Self: Re-examining Goffman's Presentation of Self Across Contemporary CMC Contexts [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1335883419

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Kuznekoff, Jeffrey. The Online Presentation of Self: Re-examining Goffman's Presentation of Self Across Contemporary CMC Contexts. 2012. Ohio University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1335883419.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Kuznekoff, Jeffrey. "The Online Presentation of Self: Re-examining Goffman's Presentation of Self Across Contemporary CMC Contexts." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1335883419

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)