Citation

Barlett CP, Kowalewski DA. Psychol. Pop. Media Cult. 2019; 8(4): 437-443.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Educational Publishing Foundation of the American Psychological Association)

DOI

10.1037/ppm0000183

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The Barlett Gentile cyberbullying model (BGCM) is a learning-based psychological theory used to elucidate the processes involved in cyberbullying perpetration. This model posits that early cyberbullying behaviors aid in the development of anonymity perceptions and the belief that one's muscularity is irrelevant online (termed BI-MOB). These variables lead to the development of positive cyberbullying attitudes, which predict subsequent cyberbullying perpetration. Finally, continued cyberbullying perpetration further reinforces anonymity perceptions and BI-MOB. The current study expanded the BGCM by examining these cyclical learning postulates. Participants (N = 172; 80% female; average age = 19.79 years) completed measures of anonymity perceptions, cyberbullying attitudes, cyberbullying perpetration, and BI-MOB four times throughout the academic semester.

RESULTS from our longitudinal path model showed that Wave 1 BI-MOB and anonymity predicted Wave 2 cyberbullying attitudes, which predicted Wave 3 cyberbullying (i.e., strong support for the BGCM). Additionally, Wave 3 cyberbullying predicted Wave 4 anonymity and BI-MOB--confirming the learning postulates of BGCM that have yet to be tested. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)

Language: en