Cognitive Scaffold

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MENTAL MODEL · M3172

Online Disinhibition Effect

Online Disinhibition Effect
BehaviorHigh supportSocial Psychology
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

People exhibit less self-restraint in online environments than in real life, more easily making extreme statements, attacking others, or disclosing private information. This is primarily caused by factors such as anonymity, invisibility, and asynchronous communication.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

Digital behavior prediction. It explains phenomena like cyberbullying, keyboard warriors, and online rumors. It has important guiding significance for product design (e.g., real-name authentication), community management (e.g., content moderation), and public opinion control.

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Anonymity and invisibility make people more indulgent or overly candid online, weakening social constraints.

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Source support: Explicit

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    zh.wikipedia.orghttps://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%B6%B2%E8%B7%AF%E5%8E%BB%E6%8A%91%E5%88%B6%E6%95%88%E6%87%89ZH · Explicit
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