Online misunderstandings can also result from excessive clarity

It is often assumed that online discussions escalate because people become less socially concerned when they are anonymous, or because online messages are unclear and easily misunderstood. In her PhD-dissertation, which she defended on September 22 in Groningen, KLI-alumnus Carla Roos reveals that the opposite is often the case: online communication is sometimes so clear that it can make people appear antisocial.

Carla Roos wrote her dissertation as a member of the Kurt Lewin Institute. She currently works at Tilburg University as Assistant Professor. Her promotors in Groningen were Tom Postmes and Namkje Koudenburg.

Read more:

Thesis: Everyday Diplomacy: dealing with controversy online and face-to-face — the University of Groningen research portal (rug.nl)