We address the question of whether pseudonym use in a computer-mediated communication (CMC) context might mitigate gender-based differences in communication patterns, specifically those relating to socioemotional and relational content. This paper presents the results of an experimental study conducted to determine the extent to which these gender-based communication asymmetries, in a CMC context, are affected by the use of pseudonyms.
CMC, the process of one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many discourse using a computer-based channel, is predominantly a text-based medium. Users don't see each other's faces or hear each other's voices. Transmitted information is limited to text content easily controlled by the sender. Nonverbal and paraverbal cues which denote social hierarchies, therefore, are not present in this medium, leading some theorists to assert that CMC has the potential to "democratize" communication (Kiesler, Siegel, & McGuire, 1984). This potential can be compounded with the use of pseudonyms, resulting in the ability for CMC participants to either conceal or mask identifying attributes such as gender. By controlling identifying attributes, CMC users might feel less constrained by the gender-based stereotypes and social expectations which dictate communication behavior. This, in turn, might reduce theoretical asymmetries between the sexes regarding both power-related, relational, and socioemotional discourse (Tannen, 1990).
Previous research by Selfe & Meyer (1991) analyzed the relationship of gender-based communication patterns and pseudonym use in a longitudinal, panel study. However, unlike the previous study, the present study reveals changes in gender-based communication style accompanying the use of pseudonyms.