Fatores psicossociais associados à vitimização por engano em relacionamentos on-line.

Abstract

With the implementation of digital in human interaction mechanisms, new forms of connection were incorporated into everyday life, including interactions with loving purposes. It is understood that virtual relatinships have characteristics that differ from personal interactions, such as anonymity and the total possibility of manipulation and editability of the personal image that will be presented to other users, opening doors to the commitment of crimes and deceptive actions through a virtual profile. That said, it is understood that deception and fraud, when carried out in the midst of romantic-based interactions, become possible from a false bond of "reciprocal love", which may result in financial and/or psychological damage to the victim. In this context, the profile of the victims, as well as the consequences experienced by them, will vary according to the intention and magnitude of the deception. This research aimed to analyze the relationship between psychosocial factors and victimization by deception in virtual love interactions, seeking to understand the role of personality factors, romantic love beliefs, gender and self-esteem in this issue. For this purpose, the research was based on a correlational ex post facto design. A sample of 163 participants answered a computerized questionnaire consisting of the following measures: Socio-demographic questionnaire, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (EAR-10), Big Five Personality Factors Inventory (IGFP-5), Romantic Beliefs Scale and the Cheating Victimization Scale in Online Romantic Interactions. From the results obtained, no significant differences were identified between genders with regard to victimization, romanticism, self-esteem and neuroticism. Through the data obtained, there were also no significant correlations between victimization and the other variables, on the other hand, openness to experience, conscientiousness, extroversion and kindness showed significant associations with each other and with self-esteem, as well as the factor neuroticism was positively correlated with romanticism. In addition, victimization was associated with the frequency of online interactions for romantic purposes. The objectives of this research were achieved, contributing to the Brazilian literature on the subject from data on psychosocial factors and their relationship with victimization by deception in virtual love interactions in the Brazilian context. Furthermore, it is expected that this research will contribute to the development and follow-up of new studies on victimization by deception in online relationships, with the aim of broadening the understanding of the biases that permeate this phenomenon in Brazilian territory. Keywords: Online dating; Deception; Victimization; Relationship.