Impression Management in Chat Rooms: A Grounded Theory Model

This paper investigates impression management and misrepresentation in chat rooms (a form of computer-mediated communication, or CMC) from the vantage point of 10 chat room participants. The grounded theory approach was employed to derive a model firmly rooted in participants' accounts. The resultant model reveals the motivations for engaging in impression management, the strategies used while in the chat rooms, as well as the goals achieved during this process. To illustrate the model, the experience of 1 chat room user is detailed. By producing a set of relationships among concepts, this study represents chat room participants' experiences in a meaningful and coherent way. Findings are linked to extant theory and the value of this study is explored.