Charting the uncharted: Mapping scientific publications on online disinhibition effect in the digital space via bibliometrics and network analyses

Abstract

Online disinhibition effect (ODE), a concept and phenomenon in cyberpsychology that emanates from human interactions in the virtual world, is an uncharted space in scientific discourse. This study aimed to map, visualize, and explore the growth and expansion of ODE publications found in a scientific database. Bibliometric details from 99 Scopus-extracted articles were uploaded to VOSViewer and examined via bibliometrics, citation, and keyword co-occurrence network analyses. Results showed a consistent increase of ODE articles focusing on relevant concepts from keyword clusters related to ethics, hate, learning, well-being, and identity. Outcomes further revealed article features and influential authors, sources, and countries.