Assistant Professor of Marketing Kelly EunJung Yoon
Assistant Professor of Marketing Kelly EunJung Yoon, of UMW’s College of Business, co-conducted a study, led by the University of California, Irvine, into how participants in online support groups tend to hide demographic information, in an effort to form better connections with other members.
“Our findings indicate a striking discrepancy between people’s perception of self-disclosure effects and the reality in online support groups. Members tended to refrain from revealing when they were demographically different from their interaction partner or had overall minority status, believing it would hinder them from fitting in or relating well to others. But when members naturally engaged in communicating those details, the result was strong relationships that produced health benefits,” said Connie Pechmann, UCI professor of marketing and lead author of the study. Read more.