Individual differences play an important role in determining when and how
people become disinhibited. For example, the intensity of underlying drives
affect one’s susceptibility. Personality types vary greatly in the strength of
reality testing, defense mechanisms, and tendencies towards inhibition or
expression. People with histrionic styles tend to be very open and emotional;
compulsive personalities show more restraint; schizotypal individuals are more
prone to fantasy. One’s developmental level in object relations will determine
the susceptibility to the experience of merging with the online other. The
online disinhibition effect will interact with these personality variables, in
some cases resulting in a small deviation from the person’s baseline (offline)
behavior, while in other cases causing dramatic changes (Suler, 1999). Future
research can focus on what people, under what circumstances, are more predisposed
to the various elements of online disinhibition.