A qualitative analysis of internet trolling
- Authors: March, Evita , Marrington, Jessica
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking Vol. 22, no. 3 (2019), p. 192-197
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Internet trolling is receiving increasing research attention and exploration; however, disagreement and confusion surround definitions of the behavior. In the current study, 379 participants (60 percent women) completed an online questionnaire providing qualitative responses to the following: How do you define Internet trolling? What kind of behaviors constitutes Internet trolling? Does Internet trolling differ from Internet cyberbullying? Have you ever been trolled online, and if so how did it feel? Word frequency analyses indicated that Internet trolling is most commonly characterized as an abusive aggressive behavior. Responses also highlight the subjective nature of humor in trolling depending on whether an individual has trolled. Interestingly, the groups that indicated trolling as a "bullying" behavior were the groups who had never been trolled. Results of the current study highlight the need to differentiate between "kudos" trolling and Cyber Abuse. © 2019, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
Inauthentic self-presentation on facebook as a function of vulnerable narcissism and lower self-esteem
- Authors: Grieve, Rachel , March, Evita , Watkinson, Jarrah
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Computers in Human Behavior Vol. 102, no. (Jan 2020), p. 144-150
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: This study was the first to delineate the role of grandiose narcissism and vulnerable narcissism, in addition to self-esteem and self-monitoring, in predicting authentic self-presentation on Facebook. Facebook users (N = 155) answered questions about their personality as well as the persona they present on Facebook, and Euclidean distances quantified the congruence between the two personas. Self-monitoring (ability to modify self-presentation) was included as a control variable in regression analysis. As hypothesised, grandiose narcissism predicted more congruent presentation between the true self and the Facebook self, while vulnerable narcissism predicted a greater difference between the two personas. In contrast to predictions, self-esteem was not associated with congruence between the two selves; however, a follow-up moderation analysis revealed a significant self-esteem vulnerable narcissism interaction. Specifically, for individuals with average and low levels of self-esteem, there is more incongruence between the true self and the Facebook self as a function of increased vulnerable narcissism. Given the psychological benefits associated with authentic self-presentation on Facebook, these findings inform understanding of the negative affective processes of vulnerable narcissists and their self-presentation on this popular social networking medium.
Dangerous dating in the digital age : jealousy, hostility, narcissism, and psychopathy as predictors of cyber dating abuse
- Authors: Branson, Molly , March, Evita
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Computers in Human Behavior Vol. 119, no. (2021), p.
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Cyber Dating Abuse includes perpetration of aggressive and controlling behaviours against an intimate partner via technology. Despite the significant physical and psychological outcomes, there is a paucity in research exploring predictors of Cyber Dating Abuse. In the current study, we replicate and extend previous research by exploring the utility of jealousy, hostility, narcissism (grandiose and vulnerable), and psychopathy (primary and secondary) as predictors of Cyber Dating Abuse. Participants (N = 817; 78.2% women; Mage = 28.16, SD = 10.49) were recruited via social media and completed an online questionnaire which comprised measures of jealousy, hostility, narcissism, psychopathy, and perpetration of Cyber Dating Abuse behaviours. Results supported the hypotheses that jealousy, vulnerable narcissism, and secondary psychopathy would be significant, positive predictors of Cyber Dating Abuse perpetration. No other predictor reached significance, and gender (control variable) was also a non-significant predictor. Results are discussed through the lens of evolutionary theory and the General Aggression Model and indicate that the perpetration of Cyber Dating Abuse may be better attributed to reactive, emotional aggression, compared to proactive, instrumental aggression. These results have important clinical and practical implications and may inform management and prevention of online intimate partner abuse and violence. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd
The role of individual differences in cyber dating abuse perpetration
- Authors: March, Evita , Grieve, Rachel , Clancy, Elizabeth , Klettke, Bianca , Van Dick, Rolf , Hernandez Bark, Alina
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking Vol. 24, no. 7 (2021), p. 457-463
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: There is a growing research interest in cyber dating abuse (CDA). CDA includes abusive online behavior toward a current or former intimate partner, such as aggression, control, harassment, and humiliation. Despite the potential overlap and reciprocal relationship of CDA and intimate partner violence, there remains considerable paucity in research exploring predictors of this abusive online behavior. In the current study, we adopt the General Aggression Model framework and explore the role of gender, hegemonic masculinity, vulnerable narcissism, and sexual aggression myths to predict perpetration of CDA. Participants (N = 415, 51 percent women; Mage = 32.68 years) were recruited via social media advertisements and completed an anonymous, confidential online questionnaire. The questionnaire comprised the Conformity to Masculine Roles Norms Inventory, the Hypersensitive Narcissism Scale, the Acceptance of Modern Myths About Sexual Aggression Scale, and a modified Cyber Aggression in Relationships Scale. A hierarchical regression analysis indicated that hegemonic masculinity, vulnerable narcissism, and sexual aggression myths were all significant positive predictors of perpetrating CDA. As gender was a significant predictor until the inclusion of these variables, a multiple mediation analysis was performed, indicating that both hegemonic masculinity and sexual aggression myths fully mediated the relationship between gender and perpetrating CDA. These results add to the growing body of research exploring how CDA emerges as a behavior and highlight possible implications for management and intervention. © Copyright 2021, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers 2021.
High esteem and hurting others online : trait sadism moderates the relationship between self-esteem and internet trolling
- Authors: March, Evita , Steele, Genevieve
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networking Vol. 23, no. 7 (2020), p. 441-446
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Internet trolling is commonly defined as disruptive online behavior, intended to provoke and distress others for amusement. Previous research has shown that gender (specifically, male), trait psychopathy, and trait sadism significantly predict engaging in trolling. In this study, we sought to replicate and extend previous research by exploring the role of self-esteem in predicting trolling, and possible interactions between self-esteem and personality. Participants (n = 400, 67.5 percent women, average age = 24.97 years [SD = 8.84]) completed an online questionnaire, including measures of psychopathy, sadism, self-esteem, and trolling behaviors. Results corroborated previous research showing gender (male) to be a significant predictor of trolling, and trait psychopathy and sadism to be significant positive predictors. Although self-esteem had no additional value on top of trait psychopathy and sadism in explaining trolling, there was a significant interaction between self-esteem and trait sadism. A moderation analysis indicated a positive relationship between self-esteem and trolling, but only when trait sadism was high. These results portray the troll as a callous individual may enjoy causing psychological harm, particularly if their self-esteem is high. These results contribute to building the psychological profile of trolls and provide future directions for research exploring trolling behaviors.
Insta-identity: dark personality traits as predictors of authentic self-presentation on Instagram
- Authors: Geary, Christina , March, Evita , Grieve, Rachel
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Telematics and Informatics Vol. 63, no. (2021), p.
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: People vary in the extent to which they present themselves authentically online. This study applied Uses and Gratifications Theory to investigate the utility of grandiose narcissism, vulnerable narcissism, primary psychopathy, secondary psychopathy, and Machiavellianism in predicting authentic self-presentation on Instagram. Participants (N = 542; 62.9% women; 60.1% Australian) with a currently active Instagram account were recruited via social media advertisements and completed an online questionnaire assessing personality and authenticity. Instagram authenticity was operationalised as Euclidean distances between the true self and the Instagram self. Results partially supported hypotheses, with higher levels of trait vulnerable narcissism and Machiavellianism predicting less congruence between the true self and the Instagram self (i.e., inauthenticity). Grandiose narcissism, primary psychopathy, and secondary psychopathy were not significant predictors of authentic self-presentation on Instagram. Findings of the current study extend previous research exploring authentic self-presentation on social media and are interpreted in line with uses and gratifications. We recommend further exploration of variation in authentic self-presentation on Instagram, from normative forms to outright deception. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd