The Effect of Anonymous Computer-Mediated Communication on State Anxiety: An Experimental Study.

This study examined the effect of anonymous computer-mediated communication (CMC) on state anxiety, specifically focusing on whether the valence of the interaction affected state anxiety before completing an anxiety-inducing task. Sixty-two female participants aged 18-25 were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: positive CMC, negative CMC, and blog. Self-report measures of state anxiety were taken at baseline; after participants had been given instructions about the anxiety-inducing task; after 10 minutes of CMC/blog writing; and after the anxiety-inducing task had been completed.