The effect of online self-presentation on self-esteem of sensory impairments students: Mediation of social support

Abstract

• Students with sensory impairments dislike the camouflage effect of positive self-presentation about themselves, from which the psychological deficiencies of self-esteem are derived. • When students with sensory impairments feel social support, honest self-presentation were more likely beneficial to their self-esteem. • HSP was positively correlated with self-esteem and social support, conversely, PSP was only positively correlated with social support. • A suppression of the association of PSP with self-esteem via social support. : This current study aimed to fill the gap that is the relationships of different strategies of online self-presentation (OSP) on sensory impairments students and further explored the effect of social support between them. : Results were from a cross-sectional survey (N=303) with 191 hearing impaired students and 112 visual impaired students, which examined two mediations among online positive and honest self-presentation (PSP and HSP) in self-esteem of sensory impaired students through social support. : Specifically, we found that HSP was positively correlated with self-esteem and social support, conversely, PSP was only positively correlated with social support. Moreover, results revealed a suppression of the association of PSP with self-esteem via social support. However, social support had the role of a complete intermediary between HSP and self-esteem. : Findings indicated that students with sensory impairments dislike the camouflage effect of positive self-presentation about themselves, from which the psychological deficiencies of self-esteem are derived. When students with sensory impairments feel social support, honest self-presentation were more likely beneficial to their self-esteem.