Rains Stephen A
a Department of Communication , University of Arizona , Tucson.
Health Commun. 2014;29(1):23-31. doi: 10.1080/10410236.2012.714861. Epub 2013 Jan 28.
The reported study examines the implications of anonymity and stigma in the form of illness-related embarrassment for self-disclosure in the context of health blogging. Drawing from theorizing about anonymous communication and stigma, anonymity is argued to be strategically used by individuals who are embarrassed by their illness and to moderate the relationship between embarrassment and self-disclosure. Data from 114 individuals who blog about their experiences coping with a health condition were examined to test study hypotheses. Illness-related embarrassment was positively associated with anonymity. Additionally, anonymity moderated the relationship between embarrassment and self-disclosure. Among bloggers with relatively higher levels of anonymity, illness-related embarrassment was positively associated with self-disclosure. The results suggest that anonymity is strategically used and fosters self-disclosure among individuals who are embarrassed by their illness.
所报道的这项研究考察了在健康博客语境下，匿名以及以与疾病相关的尴尬形式存在的污名对自我表露的影响。基于对匿名交流和污名的理论思考，有人认为，那些因疾病而感到尴尬的个体策略性地使用匿名方式，并调节尴尬与自我表露之间的关系。对114名撰写自身应对健康状况经历博客的个体的数据进行了分析，以检验研究假设。与疾病相关的尴尬与匿名呈正相关。此外，匿名调节了尴尬与自我表露之间的关系。在匿名程度相对较高的博主中，与疾病相关的尴尬与自我表露呈正相关。研究结果表明，匿名被策略性地使用，并促进了那些因疾病而感到尴尬的个体的自我表露。
