Online disinhibition is not a master key: An examination of online disinhibition mechanism

PurposeThis study aims to empirically examine how online disinhibition influences individuals’ behavior on the Internet, based on the motivation-based online disinhibition model, a refinement of Suler’s (2004) online disinhibition theory. This model suggests that individuals’ behaviors are influenced by motivational factors, with online disinhibition moderating this process.Design/methodology/approachWe observed how individuals expressed their attitudes by clicking the Like button when reading fictional threads with multiple replies. In Study 1a, participants were shown two types of replies in a thread: inflammatory and normal posts. In Study 1b, we followed up with the participants from Study 1a by asking them how sensational and annoying they perceived each post. In Study 2, we examined whether participants clicked Like on a specific post that contained extreme language.FindingsStudy 1a found that the influence of online disinhibition on Like-clicking did not significantly differ across post types. In Study 1b, when participants perceived posts as sensational or annoying, they were more likely to click Like if they experienced high levels of online disinhibition. For posts that were neither sensational nor annoying, online disinhibition did not affect the likelihood of clicking Like. In Study 2, although online disinhibition had a significant influence on Like-clicking on the extreme post, this effect disappeared after controlling for the participants’ motivation.OriginalityThese findings examined the strict causal relationships among motivational factors, online disinhibition, and behaviors, challenging the previously overgeneralized explanations of the online disinhibition theory regarding online behaviors.