The Disinhibiting Effects of Anonymity Increase Online Trolling

Abstract

Research assessing online trolling—a behavior designed to trigger or antagonize other users for entertainment—has largely focused on identifying individual differences that underlie the behavior. Less attention has been given to how situational factors influence trolling, such as the disinhibiting effects of anonymity. In this study, we evaluated the roles of both individual differences and levels of anonymity in online trolling. We assessed these through experimentation, a relatively novel approach in trolling research. Australian undergraduate students (n = 242, 167 women, 75 men, M_age = 21.18) were allocated to one of three conditions: an anonymous condition where they were not visible to one another, an identifiable condition where they were visible to one another, or an external condition where they completed the study outside of a controlled laboratory environment. Participants first read a short news article before interacting in an online group discussion where participants could chat freely. The first comment participants wrote was later coded for trolling. Participants also completed assessments of psychopathy, sadism, and a global assessment of trolling. As predicted, participants in the anonymous condition trolled more than those in the identifiable condition. No differences were seen between these two conditions and the external condition. Analyses also revealed that sadism and global trolling were positively associated with trolling in the chat room, but psychopathy showed no association. These results demonstrate the importance of both individual differences and the disinhibiting effects of anonymity when investigating the complex nature of trolling.