‘I did it for the LULZ’: How the dark personality predicts online disinhibition and aggressive online behavior in adolescence
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Anonymity feeds into the disinhibitory effect and is linked to increased cyberbullying perpetration.
“Thus, anonymity feeds into the disinhibitory effect (32) and consistent with previous research is linked to increased cyberbullying perpetration (22, 33–36, 38, 106).”
From A thematic analysis of adolescents’ perceptions of cyberbullying and cyberaggression: definitional distinctions and educational gaps (2026) · cites this paper as [33]
In “Moral Disengagement and the Online Disinhibition Effect” (page unavailable), the paper identifies anonymity as a contributor to online disinhibition. “Predictors of Cyber Aggression” reports that disinhibition predicted greater cyber aggression, but the paper does not establish a separate link between anonymity and increased cyberbullying perpetration; its measured outcome is broader than cyberbullying. (LLM, conf=0.82)
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- Authors
- Kurek, A., Jose, P. E., & Stuart, J.
- Affiliations
- Victoria University of Wellington (NZ)
- Griffith University (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Kurek, Anna
- Venue
- Computers in Human Behavior
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2019-09
- Volume
- 98
- Pages
- 31-40
- ISSN
- 0747-5632 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2923252112
- Cited by
- 102
- References
- 84
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 27 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 1
- FWCI
- 11.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Computers in Human Behavior (publishedVersion)
- Griffith Research Online (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Funders
- Victoria University of Wellington
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Keywords
- dark personality traits, online disinhibition effect, online aggression, narcissism, psychopathy, sadism, false self, adolescents, online behavior, antisocial personality, identity construction, online anonymity
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