Navigating the Role of LGBTQ+ Identity in Self-Disclosure and Strategies Used for Uncertainty Reduction in Online Dating

Abstract

ABSTRACT Online dating platforms pose novel challenges for personal privacy, self-disclosure, and uncertainty management. Emerging evidence suggests that LGBTQ+ users may be especially impacted by issues like personal privacy and misrepresentation online. LGBTQ+ identity disclosure is often fraught with pressures related to stigma, fear of accidental disclosure to unintended, undesired audiences, and the possibility of facing harassment and violence. How these identity concerns may manifest in uncertainty reduction strategies in online dating contexts has not yet been examined. To understand this relationship, we replicated and extended precious work examining self-disclosure concerns and uncertainty reduction strategies when online dating with a focus on LGBTQ+ users. Participants were surveyed on the amount of personal information they disclosed, the uncertainty reduction strategies they used, and concerns about disclosure. We found that use of uncertainty reduction strategies was predicted by concerns of personal security, misrepresentation of communication partners, and the possibility of being recognized. We also found that using these strategies predicted the frequency of specific self-disclosure in online dating situations. These findings support the value in continuing to understand the ways in which online information sharing and relationship development are influenced by social identity.