Search 1
Search Term
anonymity AND internet AND behaviour
Database
Computer Source
Results
27 sources
Conclusion
Initially, my first search did not include behaviour. This returned 273 results, so I added another term to narrow the search quite a bit. However, this search yielded a lot of sources that looked interesting. I’m very interested in returning to the more general search and refining it using different third terms to find more useful articles.
Search 2
Search Term
anonymous AND online
Database
Computer Source
Results
181 sources
Conclusion
This is another search that yielded a large amount of results. After skimming through many of them, I realized that this search could also benefit from a third keyword. There were some great articles here, but a lot were a little off the mark. Many dealt with free speech or foreign law, and some were even explanations of how the internet works in general.
Search 3
Search Term
online AND identity AND behaviour AND privacy
Database
Academic Search Premier
Results
101 sources
Conclusion
This search had to be narrowed a lot. It also did not lead to many great sources that I could find. There were a lot of medical articles, public policy position pieces, and articles about consumers in an anonymous market. I do not think further refining this search would prove to be useful.
The predictors of users’ satisfaction in an anonymous environment: the role of the negative true self
Source
Search 2
Citation
Hu, C., Kumar, S., Huang, J., & Ratnavelu, K. (2020). The predictors of users’ satisfaction in an anonymous environment: the role of the negative true self. Behaviour & Information Technology, 39(2), 213–225. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2019.1597165
Annotation
This is an incredibly valuable search for my research. This study used advanced psychological theory to investigate user behaviour online. They applied the principles of the ought self, the ideal self, and the negative true self to investigate how users felt about their interactions on the internet. Studying their methodology and their research premise has provided a lot of insight into how to conduct a similar study.
Subject Terms
Attitude, Autonomy, Correlation, Factor analysis, Group identity, Medical ethics, Privacy, Questionnaires, Research funding, Satisfaction, Self-perception, Social networks, Well-being
Group identification as a mediator of the effect of players’ anonymity on cheating in online games.
Source
Search 1
Citation
Chen, V. H. H., & Wu, Y. (2015). Group identification as a mediator of the effect of players’ anonymity on cheating in online games. Behaviour & Information Technology, 34(7), 658– 667. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2013.843721
Annotation
This study looked into the frequency of cheating in online games. Specifically, it sought to determine whether or not playing in a group that can identify each other individual would lower the frequencies of individuals cheating. It found that gender plays a role in this interaction, and that in general more cheating occurs when users are unidentifiable. This research is important to my subject because it shows a distinct change in behaviour when switching between a situation is which an individual is identifiable and one in which they are anonymous. While the context of gaming is not specifically important, it shows that online behaviour is in fact influenced by this factor.
Subject Terms
Attitude, Conceptual structures, Deception, Focus groups, Group identity, Internet, Probability theory, Regression analysis, Research funding, Sex distribution, Teenagers’ conduct of life, Video games, Data analysis software