Alejandra De La Fuente Vilar

Abstract from journal:

Information gathering, including in covert contexts, increasingly takes place in online environments amongst individuals from different cultures. Given that rapport facilitates information gathering, we investigated the perceived impact of communication errors on rapport in brief online interactions. In a pre-registered experiment (N = 191), we examined detection of errors, their effect on perceived rapport, recovery strategy preferences, and cultural differences between UK (low-context) and Chinese (high-context) participants. Results showed sensitivity to subtle communication breaches, with judgment errors significantly reducing perceived rapport. Apology emerged as the most effective recovery strategy, especially among Chinese participants, perhaps reflecting cultural preferences for relational harmony. Interestingly, both cultural groups similarly detected errors, suggesting shared digital norms. These findings contribute to understanding the dynamics of online rapport-building and cross-cultural communication, emphasizing the relevance of relational cues in online interactions - even those with investigative or covert aims.

Hope, L., De La Fuente, A., Kontogianni, F., Leslie, A., & Oostinga, M. S. D. (2026). Communication errors in online interactions: examining cultural differences in perceptions of rapport and preferred recovery strategies. Oñati Socio-Legal Series. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.35295/osls.iisl.2354

Abstract from the journal:

Culture shapes communication norms and societal expectations about an individual’s ties to their social group. This research examined the extent to which cultural influences impact reporting of crime information, including when there is pre-existing relationship between the witness and perpetrator. In a pre-registered online quasi-experiment (N = 163), we examined mock-witness statements about a road traffic incident provided by individuals from the United Kingdom and China (fluent in English). For both groups of participants, the identity of the perpetrator was manipulated to simulate three levels of relationship proximity with mock-witnesses (close–same culture; stranger–same culture; stranger–different culture). In line with our hypothesis, we found an effect of cultural group on the amount of correct information reported. Replicating previous research, individuals from the UK, whose culture is associated with low-context communication preferences, reported significantly more information than those from China, who are associated with a high-context communication culture. Despite an increase in disclosure when reporting information about an out-group target, this affiliation effect was not statistically significant, and neither was the interaction effect. These findings highlight that witnesses’ cultural background should be considered in investigative interviewing contexts, and caution that a witness–perpetrator relationship, to a lesser extent, may jeopardise reporting of information by eyewitnesses. Limitations of the study and future research are discussed.

De La Fuente Vilar, A., Hope, L., Kontogianni, F., & Layal, A. (2026). Culture of Silence: Examining the Influence of Culture in Mock-Eyewitness Reports. Behavioral Sciences, 16(9), 1540. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs16091540