ORCID

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7676-3923

Keywords

Social Media, Digital Communication, Decision-making, Online Behavior

Subject Categories

Communication Technology and New Media | Psychology | Social Psychology

Abstract

Social media platforms have fundamentally transformed interpersonal communication by creating environments in which behaviors are publicly reinforced through visible social feedback systems such as “likes.” Although prior research has linked online environments with increased disinhibition and negative behavior, existing literature has primarily focused on anonymity and invisibility as the primary mechanisms underlying these effects. However, the mechanistic role of physical and psychological co-presence in driving online disinhibition has received little empirical investigation. The central aim of the present study was to determine whether reduced social presence and the selective reinforcement of negative content contribute to online disinhibition and anticipatory reward-seeking in a simulated social media environment. Across two experiments, participants completed a 20-round simulated social media task in which they selected between neutral and negative social media posts while receiving manipulated “likes”. Levels of co-presence were systematically varied across Lab Co-Present, Lab Separated, and Remote Separated conditions. Reward structures were additionally manipulated to examine whether negative posting behavior was driven by reinforcement contingency or reward magnitude alone. Experiment 1 demonstrated that participants who received greater social reward for negative posts selected significantly more negative content, and negative posting behavior increased across repeated rounds of the task. However, no significant differences emerged between Lab Co-Present and Lab Separated conditions. To further reduce physical and psychological co-presence, Experiment 2 introduced a fully remote condition, which produced significantly greater negative posting behavior relative to the in-lab conditions. Further, in the Unequal Reward Negative-High condition, negative posting behavior was amplified over time. Reduced social presence also increased anticipatory reward-seeking behavior, reflected through increased refresh rates to monitor accumulation of likes. Together, these findings suggest that increasing levels of physical distance and reinforcement of negative behaviors in digital environments contribute to online disinhibition through independent and interacting effects.

Completion Date

2026

Semester

Summer

Committee Chair

Lighthall, Nichole

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Psychology

Format

PDF

Document Type

Dissertation

Language

English

Download

Share

COinS
 

Accessibility Statement

This item was created or digitized prior to April 24, 2027, or is a reproduction of legacy media created before that date. It is preserved in its original, unmodified state specifically for research, reference, or historical recordkeeping. In accordance with the ADA Title II Final Rule, the University Libraries provides accessible versions of archival materials upon request. To request an accommodation for this item, please submit an accessibility request form.