Liar, liar! An examination of how open, supportive and honest people are in chat rooms

This research had two aims. Firstly. to examine availability of emotional support in chat rooms, and secondly. to investigate openness and dishonesty in chat rooms. Three hundred and twenty respondents (160 women and 160 men) filled out the 'Chat Room Survey'. It was found that people who spend more time in chat rooms were more likely to be open about themselves, receive emotional Support, and give emotional support. Women were more likely than men to give emotional Support. Men were more likely to than women to lie, and were more likely to lie about their socio-economic status. In contrast, women were more likely than men to lie for safety reasons. This study challenges some past speculations about online relationships. and argues that future research must consider demographic details more when examining interactions on the Internet. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.