Coye Cheshire April 18, 2023//

Computer-Mediated Communication

Deception…Part uno.

Digital Deception

“intentional control of information in a technologically mediated message to create a false belief in the receiver of the message.”

1)Intention

2)Purpose to Mislead

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Types of Digital Deception

Identity-Based Stems from false manipulation of person or

organization

Message-Based Takes place in communication between

dyads or larger groups

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Identity…ambiguity vs. deception

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Identity Theory (Sociology)

Identity Theory (i.e., Stryker 1980)

Individuals have “role identities”: character and the role an individual devises as an occupant of a particular social position. ‘Self’ is hierarchical ordering of identities by salience. The greater the commitment on an identity, the greater the salience of the identity. Salience of identity influences behavioral choices in a situation.

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When and Where Do You “Activate” Your Identity?

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Social Identity Theory (Psychology)

Social Identity Theory (i.e., Tajfel, et al 1981; Turner 1985)

How group membership and “belongingness” have consequences for interpersonal and intergroup relations. As one looks for a positive sense of self, they compare their group with other groups and tend to create a favorable distinction for their own group

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Photo: Courtesy of movie, “Dazed and Confused”

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“Minimal Group” Paradigm

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Information Signaling

Deception and Identity

(Donath 1999) argues that in some cases, deception is very difficult because we have assessment signals

Assessment signals: cost is directly related to the ‘advertised trait’

Conventional signals, however, are open to deception

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Expression and Interpretation

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Recall: Donath (1999) ties the both voice and language to Erving Goffman’s concepts of “expressions given” and “expressions given off”:

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Finally, after reading all the articles, Chuck Norris wonders about selective deception, cases where one tries to deceive a majority while conveying a message that is only understood by a few (somewhat like an inside joke). Is this sphere documented/researched at all or would it be too challenging? Chuck Norris expects there to be something in this sphere, such as analyzing Osama Bin Laden's videotapes for messages before releasing it on nationalized television.

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Deception, Norms and Perception

Users who post these photographs are conforming to a social trend at the expense of their individuality

The presentation of these photographs is narcissistic

These photographs purposefully conceal the body

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One thing that came up for me but wasn't really addressed in the article was the gender dynamics that are at play in this kind of situation. Sessions indicates early on that most of the pictures being policed for MySpace Angles are of women, and most of the policing (particularly that which falls into the category of "criticism") is being done by men. She takes for granted that men police because they are primarily concerned with physical attractiveness in women, whereas women engage in mocking their own because (i.e. jealousy). This seemed to me to be kind of a superficial take on the interplay of (heterosexual) sexual/romantic relationships and patriarchy going on here.

-Hannah S.

The Deception in the Message…

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How is deception different online and offline?

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Media Richness and Media Choice Revisited

Media ‘richness’ is only a singular dimension that may mask the complexity of choice, behavior and inference of purpose.

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Image: Time Barrow Dissertation Research, http://blog.timebarrow.com/2009/09/media-richness-theory/

Other Dimensions:

Synchronicity

Recordability

Distribution of Speaker/Listener

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Detecting Digital Deception

Again, complex problem with no single dimension that makes a clear and consistent prediction

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Image: Time Barrow Dissertation Research, http://blog.timebarrow.com/2009/09/media-richness-theory/