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Knowledge, Information and Creativity Support Systems: Recent Trends, Advances and Solutions pp 171–183Cite as

Visual Anonymity in Online Communication: Consequences for Creativity

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Part of the book series: Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing ((AISC,volume 364))

Abstract

Online communication (OC) is widely used for building social relations as well as for exchanging information in both private and professional settings. Having been conceptualized since the 1980s as “Computer-mediated communication” (CMC) within a number of disciplines, from psychology to communication, different predictions on how the users’ self may be affected were made [14]. However, the potential of OC toward creativity enhancement is rarely discussed, even though the effects on the individual’s behavior are obvious. The paper conceptualizes how in the “asocial” setting of using recent ICTs opportunities for an abnormal behavior may occur. Some of these discourses even observe a new potential for creative self-constructions. Based upon a series of experiments, this paper investigates how the social self develops creatively in OC, i.e., how such has a specific meaning for creativity development. Identifying further opportunities for creative co-constructions in forms of OC, the author follows a connectivist interpretation. This paper has been written as a revised and extended version of the paper presented at KICSS’2013 [15].

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Acknowledgment

Studies on which this research is based were supported through several grants, including the Hans-Böckler Foundation, the German National Academic Foundation, and the German Research Council.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education and Media Center, Educational Technology Chair at the Institute for Vocational Education, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany

    Thomas Köhler

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  1. Thomas Köhler
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Correspondence to Thomas Köhler .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Automatic Control and Biomedical Engineering, AGH University of Science and Technology, Kraków, Poland, and International Centre for Decision Sciences and Forecasting, Kraków, Poland

    Andrzej M.J. Skulimowski

  2. Polish Academy of Sciences, Systems Research Institute, Warszawa, Poland, and AGH University of Science and Technology, Kraków, Poland

    Janusz Kacprzyk

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Köhler, T. (2016). Visual Anonymity in Online Communication: Consequences for Creativity. In: Skulimowski, A., Kacprzyk, J. (eds) Knowledge, Information and Creativity Support Systems: Recent Trends, Advances and Solutions. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 364. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19090-7_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19090-7_14

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-19089-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-19090-7

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