During an online multiplayer game, players can see each other’s webcams in a sidebar. According to deindividuation theory, this setup should decrease toxic chat compared to voice‑only play because:

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The prompt asks us to evaluate why deindividuation theory would predict that visibility of webcams in a sidebar reduces toxic chat in an online multiplayer game.
Option 1: 'Hostile attribution bias is heightened.' This would imply players interpret others' actions as hostile more readily, which would tend to increase toxicity, not decrease it. Deindividuation theory generally links reduced self-awareness to less self-conscious behavior, not an increase in hostile attribution.
Option 2: 'Visual self‑awareness cues counteract anonymity.' This aligns with deindividuation theory: when people can be visually identified, self-awareness rises and behaviors become more restrained, reducing toxic or impulsive chatter. The presence of webcams adds accountability and diminishes anonymity, leading to less toxic communication.
Option 3: 'Empathy–altruism is replaced by social exchange.' This choice references prosocial vs. reciprocal motives, which is not the central mechanism of deindividuation. Deindividuation focuses on anonymity and self-awareness affecting behavior, not a shift from empathy to social exchange.
Option 4: 'Diffusion of responsibility is maximised.' In deindividuation literature, anonymity and reduced personal accountability can promote diffusion of responsibility, but the webcam setup decreases anonymity, which would actually lessen diffusion of responsibility, not maximize it. Therefore this option contradicts the scenario.
Taken together, the only option that correctly maps to the deindividuation mechanism at play is that visual self-awareness cues counteract anonymity, thereby reducing toxic chat.

During an online multiplayer game, players can see each other’s webcams in a sidebar. According to deindividuation theory, this setup should decrease toxic chat compared to voice‑only play because:

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

Sally feels lost in a crowd at a rock concert and is experiencing deindividuation. This means that Sally is:

De-individuation refers to:

Which of the following does not help promote deindividuation:

De-individuation refers to:

A middle-aged man makes a passive comment on social media about his colleague. He would not make such a comment in a face-to-face conversation with the colleague. According to Milgram's study, the man most likely made the comment about his colleague because of which of the following?

During an online multiplayer game, players can see each other’s webcams in a sidebar. According to deindividuation theory, this setup should decrease toxic chat compared to voice‑only play because:

Sometimes after a big football game fans will riot, getting into fights and destroying property. People in such a crowd will often do things that they would never do on their own. This effect is due primarily to a process of

More Practical Tools for Students Powered by AI Study Helper

Homework AI Solver

Stylized AI Paper Writer

Plagiarism Checker Assistant

Citation AI Academic Writing Tool

In-Class Translation Assistant

AI Note Generator

AI Quiz Answers

Past Exam Questions from University Test Bank

Smart Practice Assistant

Adaptive Practice

Making Your Study Simpler