How someone views and presents themselves when they are in an online situation can be different than how they view themselves when face-to-face with someone.

Research Rookie Zach Woods, sophomore psychology major, said peoples’ perceptions of themselves can change due to social interaction.

“It’s about the anticipation we get when people know that they will have a social interaction with someone that they do not know,” Woods said. “People tend to think more about themselves and have different perceptions of themselves when they know an interaction is coming.”

Woods is researching this as a follow-up to a study his mentor, Alecia Santuzzi, assistant professor of psychology, did.

“Zach’s project examines exactly what it is about computer-mediated situations that lead us to think differently about ourselves,” Santuzzi said.

People may think of themselves in a more positive light online than they otherwise would because they can’t see the person they are interacting with.

On the other hand, people may view themselves differently online because the other person can’t see them. This is more of an “out of sight, out of mind” hypothesis, Santuzzi said.

Woods said being a Research Rookie means he is “dedicated and engaged in learning and becoming more involved” in his major.

Santuzzi said she greatly enjoys working with undergraduate students, including Woods, and sees it as “one of the most valuable components of my job here at NIU.”

“Zach Woods is already working with me at a collaborative level on his project and has made several insightful and promising contributions to the study design,” Santuzzi said. “I have some influence on the research questions and project development as a collaborator, but the student has creative power to personalize the direction of the project. The student also takes a leadership role in collecting data and managing a team of assistants on the project.”