Selective self-presentation in computer-mediated communication: Hyperpersonal dimensions of technology,language, and cognition

The hyperpersonal model of computer-mediated communication (CMC) posits that users exploit the technological aspects of CMC in order to enhance the messages they construct to manage impressions and facilitate desired relationships. This research examined how CMC users managed message composing time, editing behaviors, personal language, sentence complexity, and relational tone in their initial messages to different presumed targets, and the cognitive awareness related to these processes. Effects on several of these processes and outcomes were obtained in response to different targets, partially supporting the hyperpersonal perspective of CMC, with unanticipated gender and status interaction effects suggesting behavioral compensation through CMC, or overcompensation when addressing presumably undesirable partners.     

The relationship between class size and online activity patterns in asynchronous computer conferencing environments

This study analyzes the relationship between class size and student online activity patterns in a series of 28 graduate level computer conferencing courses. Quantitative analyses of note production, average note size, note opening and note reading percentages found a significant positive correlation between class size and mean number of notes generated. Significant negative correlations were found between class size and average note size and between class size and percent of notes opened. Analyses of average reading speeds among large classes and small classes revealed that students in large classes were more likely to scan lengthy notes (i.e., notes that contain more than 350 words). Possible explanations for these results are discussed.     

基于XML的多Agent消息通讯机制研究与实现

在多Agent分布式系统中,如何实现多Agent通讯是一个重要问题。以消息传输的方式实现多Agent系统的通讯,讨论了消息的XML格式封装和解析机制,以及基于消息优先级的消息传送同步控制算法,实现了消息的可靠有效传输。最后给出了可重用的系统仿真框架,并用Java语言得以实现验证。     

Effect of communication media on developmental relationships: Self-reported and observed behaviors

This study examined the effect of four communication modes (computer-based video teleconferencing, computer-based electronic chat, telephone, and face-to-face) on developmental interactions between dyads; specifically on the transmission of psychosocial versus instrumental information. The dyads consisted of undergraduates at a southeastern university. One member of the dyad was an incoming first year student; the second member was an upper division student who served as a developmental coach. The study was experimental in design, which controlled the amount of interaction, the frequency of interaction, and prior acquaintanceship of the dyadic pair. The small amount of variance attributable to communication mode suggests that people matter more than the machines. Specifically, in terms of implementing non-face-to-face developmental programs, it might be more useful to focus on reducing the variability in the coaches’ behaviors through selection or training, than to focus on communication mode. Additionally, independent observers watched and rated the dyadic interactions to provide a third point of view. There was very little overlap between coach and trainee perceptions, although there was considerable agreement between the raters’ and coaches’ ratings.     

Group differences in computer supported collaborative learning: Evidence from patterns of Taiwanese students’ online communication

This study explored the differences among online elementary school student groups based on their communication features. Two hundred and ninety-one Taiwanese students, ranging in age from 11 to 12 years old, participated in this study. The students were randomly arranged within-class into three-member groups. Each group was asked to use a collaborative learning system to accomplish a group task generating a shared concept map. The textual discussions in each group during collaboration were collected, coded, categorized, and quantified to profile their communication characteristics. Cluster analysis on the resulting communication characteristics resulted in four types of small student groups, including passive or reticent, frequently off-task, actively participating, and knowledge emphasizing. Most student groups (56%) were found to be relatively passive or reticent. Frequently off-task student groups made a protrusive amount of messages for off-task social purposes. The actively participating student groups were characterized by abundant discussion, particularly for continuing task, managing procedure and coordinating efforts. The distinctive feature of knowledge emphasizing student groups was that they devoted particular attention to task related knowledge. In addition, they performed better in task accomplishment.     

Texting insincerely: The role of the period in text messaging

Text messaging is one of the most frequently used computer-mediated communication (CMC) methods. The rapid pace of texting mimics face-to-face communication, leading to the question of whether the critical non-verbal aspects of conversation, such as tone, are expressed in CMC. Much of the research in this domain has involved large corpus analyses, focusing on the contents of texts, but not how receivers comprehend texts. We ask whether punctuation – specifically, the period – may serve as a cue for pragmatic and social information. Participants read short exchanges in which the response either did or did not include a sentence-final period. When the exchanges appeared as text messages, the responses that ended with a period were rated as less sincere than those that did not end with a period. No such difference was found for handwritten notes. We conclude that punctuation is one cue used by senders, and understood by receivers, to convey pragmatic and social information.     

Extroversion,neuroticism and self-concept: their impact on internet users in India

The aim of this study was to find out the influence of personality structure of an individual, i.e., extroversion, neuroticism and self-concept on the usage of the Internet in India. Further, it was also aimed to find out the correlation between the three above-mentioned variables in the light of Internet usage. Exploratory research design was used in this study and the tools used were: Eysenck Personality Inventory and Mohsin Self-Concept Inventory. The Internet was the medium for data collection and individuals were invited by e-mail to participate in the study. The method of random sampling was used for selecting the sample size of 200. In this study, Internet users were classified as heavy or light users based on the number of hours spent online. While we found no significant difference between heavy and light users of Internet on extroversion and neuroticism, it was found that the heavy users scored high on self-concept.     

Effects of emotional cues transmitted in e-mail communication on the emotions experienced by senders and receivers

This paper focuses on communication by e-mail. An experiment was conducted to investigate the influence the degree of emotional cues transmitted during e-mail communication has on the emotions experienced by the senders and receivers. Twenty-two participants of this experiment were divided into two groups based on the degrees of emotional cues transmitted: a High group and a Low group. The emotions experienced in the e-mail communication by the High group were then compared to that of the Low group. The results of this experiment showed a tendency for unpleasant emotions such as anger and anxiety to increase when emotional cues transmitted are low (i.e., the Low group). The findings suggest that low degrees of emotional cues transmitted between senders and receivers in e-mail communication tend to cause some misunderstanding.     

Students’ linguistic behaviour in online discussion groups: Does gender matter?

This research examined students’ language use and interaction styles in text-based, computer-mediated discussion groups. The contributions of 197 introductory psychology students (149 females, 48 males) participating in asynchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC) were collated. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used, under the methodological framework of qualitative content analysis [Mayring, P. (2000). Qualitative Content Analysis. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung/Forum: Qualitative Social Research [online] 1. http://qualitative-research.net/fqs-e/2-00halt-e.htm Accessed 10.06.2001]. A coding system, which incorporated the creation of ‘supercodes’, was developed using Atlas.ti 4.2 and used to code 699 student postings in total. The frequencies of coded categories were analysed using χ² statistics in SPSS 10. It was found that males and females were similar regarding use of individual linguistic variables, with the exception of intensifiers as more females used them than males. However, significant gender differences were found in use of many of the stylistic variables and the supercode analysis showed overall gender-related patterns in interaction styles. Males were more likely to use authoritative language and to respond negatively in interactions, than females. On the other hand, females were more likely to explicitly agree and support others and make more personal and emotional contributions, than males. The results suggest that gendered power differentials may carry over into online contexts, which has implications for the use of CMC in education.     

The relevance of communication media in conflict contexts and their effectiveness: A negotiation experiment

Conflict negotiation is a communication process in which participants exchange huge amounts of cognitive and emotional information interactively to achieve a mutually acceptable solution regarding previous inconsistency. The present paper approaches this issue from the perspective of intervention in emotional negotiation by examining the moderating effect of communication media on the relationships between conflict contexts and their effectiveness. Given the different effectiveness of emotional delivery between face-to-face communication and computer-mediated communication, we hypothesize that the choice of communication media will ultimately affect negotiation effectiveness. A negotiation experiment was designed to test our research hypotheses. We find that face-to-face communication functions effectively in the functional conflict context, whereas computer-mediated communication functions effectively in dysfunctional conflict context.     

The potential of synchronous communication to enhance participation in online discussions: A case study of two e-learning courses

Computer-mediated communication (CMC) has been adopted in most e-learning settings. However, few research studies have considered the effect of different CMC. This study examined how and why synchronous communication affected participation in online discussions. Two online classes that participated in two asynchronous and two synchronous online discussions were examined. Actual and perceived measures of participation indicated that synchronous communication induced personal participation, which could be regarded as a complement to cognitive participation. Personal participation involves more intense interaction better supported by synchronous communication while cognitive participation is a more reflective type of participation supported by asynchronous communication. In synchronous discussions, the e-learners felt that they worked together and were not restricted to only discuss course content. This was likely to induce arousal and motivation and increased convergence on meaning, especially in small groups.     

Ranting about race: Crushed eggshells in computer-mediated communication

When conflicts about race erupt in computer-mediated communication (CMC), what can an instructor do? This article draws a distinction between unnecessary conflict and conflict that makes visible deeply held values and resentments. It provides suggestions as to how to forestall unnecessary conflict and emphasizes the importance of working through values-driven conflict.     

On-line student debate: An experiment in communication using computer Networks

A one-month experiment in man-computer-man communication using the Pitt time-sharing system and the SRI system in the ARPA Network is described. Thirteen graduate students in computer science served as experimental subjects, carrying out limited, pairwise debates on a selected set of controversial topics, with subsequent on-line critique. Besides studying the feasibility of this technique, the main purpose was to probe into the significance (if any) attributed by human communicators to the structure of files used for communicating information. Comparative systems performance and various user characteristics were also observed. Student reactions and other recorded data are interpretively discussed and summarized.     

雷达系统仿真中基于消息驱动的通信服务模型之研究*

仿真系统通信构件设计是雷达系统仿真中的关键问题。采用多进程协作仿真设计方法构建通用雷达仿真系统,提出了雷达系统仿真协作关系模型,并在此基础上设计出采用远程消息服务中心和本地仿真执程消息代理架构的通信服务模型用于控制雷达系统仿真过程,同时给出并发访问控制策略。实验表明,基于消息驱动的通信服务模型可以很好地实现分布式结构下雷达系统各仿真执程间的互通与协作仿真。     

Interacting arguments in crisis communication: The influence of message convergence on risk and crisis messages

By their nature, risks, and crises create uncertainty. This uncertainty causes both discomfort and confusion for those seeking to protect themselves and their loved ones from the threat at hand. As more information is revealed about a risk or crisis, interacting arguments often coalesce to reveal points or convergence. This exploratory study examined the relationships among message convergence and the desire to seek additional information, source credibility, risk severity, and perceptions of message consistency in response to a notable risk to the food supply. Results indicated that those participants viewing content with high convergence had heightened perceptions of source credibility, risk severity, and message consistency. They did not, however, indicate a need to seek further information. These results suggest that organizations and agencies offering warnings about risks and crises can benefit from message convergence.     

Effects of gendered character representation on person perception and informational social influence in computer-mediated communication

Two experiments examined (a) if the gender of a randomly assigned character would affect individuals' inferences about an anonymous partner in computer-mediated communication (CMC) and (b) how the gender inference would moderate informational social influence. In Experiment 1, participants played a trivia game on a gender-biased topic (sports vs. fashion) with their ostensible partner via computer, represented by a gender-marked cartoon character. The results showed that both men and women, despite the arbitrary nature of character assignment, categorized the partner according to the character's gender. However, the effects of the gender inference on conformity were moderated by the topic and the participant's gender. First, when the topic matched the participant's gender, there was no character effect. Second, whereas women used “expertise heuristics”, exhibiting greater conformity to the male-charactered than female-charactered partner on a masculine topic, men displayed greater conformity to the male-charactered than female-charactered partner on a feminine topic, suggesting male resistance to female influence. Using a gender-neutral topic, Experiment 2 confirmed the explanations. Although the character triggered gender-stereotypical perception of the partner, when the gender was not diagnostic of expertise, the character's gender did not affect women's conformity behavior while men nonetheless showed greater conformity to the male-charactered partner.     

Effects of face-to-face versus chat communication on performance in a collaborative inquiry modeling task

In many contemporary collaborative inquiry learning environments, chat is being used as a means for communication. Still, it remains an open issue whether chat communication is an appropriate means to support the deep reasoning process students need to perform in such environments. Purpose of the present study was to compare the impact of chat versus face-to-face communication on performance within a collaborative computer-supported modeling task. 44 Students from 11th-grade pre-university education, working in dyads, were observed during modeling. Dyads communicated either face-to-face or through a chat tool. Students’ reasoning during modeling was assessed by analyzing verbal protocols. In addition, we assessed the quality of student-built models. Results show that while model quality scores did not differ across both conditions, students communicating through chat compressed their interactions resulting in less time spent on surface reasoning, whereas students who communicated face-to-face spent significantly more time on surface reasoning.     

Ubiquitous laptop usage in higher education: Effects on student achievement, student satisfaction, and constructivist measures in honors and traditional classrooms

Three years of graduating business honors cohorts in a large urban university were sampled to determine whether the introduction of ubiquitous laptop computers into the honors program contributed to student achievement, student satisfaction and constructivist teaching activities. The first year cohort consisted of honors students who did not have laptops; the second and third year cohorts were given laptops by the University. The honors students found that their honors classrooms were statistically significantly more constructivist than their traditional (non-honors) classroom. The introduction of laptop computing to honors students and their faculty did not increase the level of constructivist activities in the honors classrooms. Laptop computing did not statistically improve student achievement as measured by GPA. Honors students with laptops reported statistically significantly less satisfaction with their education compared to honors students with no laptops.     

The effect of reflective learning e-journals on reading comprehension and communication in language learning

This study focused on the use of reflective learning e-journals in a university web-based English as a foreign language (EFL) course. In the study, a multimedia-based English programme comprising fifteen different units was delivered online as a one-semester instructional course. Ninety-eight undergraduate students participated, and they were divided into two groups: the treatment group used reflective learning e-journals, while the control group completed content-related exercises. The study investigated the effects of reflective learning e-journals and how students used them to aid learning. Results show that when learning from web-based instruction, students who used reflective learning e-journals outperformed students who did not do so in terms of reading comprehension. Using reflective e-journals improved the academic performance of learners in the online course. In addition, journal writing students claimed that they also improved their organisational skills and writing abilities through their reflective learning e-journal writing and found the journal writing to be a very helpful tool in reviewing the course and preparing for the exam.     

Intergroup contact in computer-mediated communication: The interplay of a stereotype-disconfirming behavior and a lasting group identity on reducing prejudiced perceptions

The present study investigated the impact of online intergroup contact on prejudiced and stereotyped perceptions toward an outgroup. Informed by research on contact in computer-mediated communication, a model of contact in which individual outgroup members displayed a stereotype-disconfirming (vs confirming) behavior in virtual teams made up of ingroup members was tested. Moreover, this hypothesized model of contact was examined across two visual conditions of group identification: one in which a pre-existing ethnic category (i.e, lasting membership) was made salient, and one without salient group identities. Results showed that when participants were conscious of their lasting identities, the enacted disconfirming behavior reduced prejudiced perceptions by the mediation of perceived attraction towards the individual outgroup member. Conversely, stereotyped perceptions were not affected by this behavior. These findings suggest that the generalization of the contact effect in CMC is more likely to occur in attitudinal variables than in cognitive ones, and as long as participants are aware of intergroup memberships when participating in short online interactions.