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Comment like Nobody's Watching : Perceived Anonymity in Online Spaces
Bernardus, Sacha (2025) Comment like Nobody's Watching : Perceived Anonymity in Online Spaces.
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| Abstract: | This study aimed to answer the question: ‘To what extent does perceived anonymity have an effect on norm-breaking behaviour in an online comment section?’. Building off of previous research on Norm Theory, this study tried to understand the effects of perceived anonymity in online comment sections on the likelihood of someone showing norm-breaking behaviour and if the perceived norms within a comment section have an effect on that relationship. Using a between-subjects experimental design with 4 conditions, 83 participants were asked to leave comments on a fake website made to look like TikTok. Each participant was assigned to a different condition, which changed what type of comments they saw next to the videos. Comments could either be positive or negative, and they can be left by perceived anonymous users or very identifiable users. The comments left by participants were coded on their levels of Profanity, Hostility, Inappropriateness and Community Guideline Violations. The results show that negative commenting environments show higher levels of norm-breaking behaviour, regardless of the level of perceived anonymity. A post-experiment survey also shows that most people dislike profanity and violations, but are alright with sarcasm and insensitive behaviour. This study offered insights into the social dynamics within online comment sections and highlighted the importance of moderation and tone setting in these environments. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Bachelor) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 05 communication studies |
| Programme: | Communication Science BSc (56615) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/107089 |
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