What motivates health information exchange in social media? The roles of the social cognitive theory and perceived interactivity

Social media has become an attractive platform for users to exchange health information with others. However, little research has been done to identify the determinants of health information exchange. By integrating aspects of the social cognitive theory and perceived interactivity, this study proposes a research model to investigate the antecedents of health information exchange in social media. Data collected from Facebook users with health information exchange experience were used to examine the proposed model. The results demonstrate that human-to-human interaction, human-to-information interaction, outcome expectation of health self-management competence, and outcome expectation of social relationships have a significant impact on health information exchange behavior. The results also reveal that human-to-human interaction exerts a significant influence on the outcome expectation of health self-management competence and the outcome expectation of social relationships, while human-to-information interaction has a positive effect on the outcome expectation of health self-management competence. The implications for the theory and practice and future research directions are discussed.     

Leveraging the IT competence of non-IS workers: social exchange and the good corporate citizen

Organizational IT competence is fundamental to achieving strategic value through technology investments. Importantly, as business users continually gain experience with enterprise systems and a new generation of tech-savvy workers enters the labour force, IT competence is increasingly distributed beyond the IS department. Despite its strategic potential however, IT competence residing within the functional areas of the firm is essentially untapped until it is volunteered by functional area knowledge workers. Addressing the changing landscape of IT competence across the enterprise, the current study examines factors that drive business professionals to volunteer their IT competences to the firm. This research introduces the concept of IT competence volunteering, which is conceptualized as a form of organizational citizenship behaviour that is not explicitly contracted by the firm and may not be directly rewarded. Guided by social exchange theory, a multi-foci model is introduced that positions IT competence as well as workplace exchange relationships as antecedents of IT competence volunteering intention. Overall, the study's results empirically demonstrate the important impacts that user-IS department exchange and perceived organizational support have on the business professional's intention to volunteer his/her IT competence to the firm.     

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.     

Computer mediated communication for social and academic purposes: Profiles of use and University students’ gratifications

The present study approaches the Internet as a social space, where university students make use of computer mediated communication (CMC) applications, i.e. e-mail, instant messaging and social network sites, in order to satisfy social and academic needs. We focus on university students, because they represent one of the most avid groups of CMC users and additionally, because they are expected to carry their perceptions of media with them into the work place and their social life. In order to investigate this issue, we conducted an empirical research using, as a target group, a sample of students from a specific Greek University. Grounded in the “uses and gratifications” perspective, we investigated the various profiles of CMC use by students along with (a) the students’ perceptions about social and academic usefulness of CMC applications, (b) the extent up to which these perceptions are correlated with students’ prior experience with the use of CMC applications, and (c) how both of these factors can predict the frequency of present use of CMC for social or academic purposes respectively. The results reveal that although these three CMC applications constitute “functional alternatives” (media that satisfy similar needs) they are different to the degree of their “functionality” for the gratification of social and academic needs. Furthermore, the degree of CMC use by students is not correlated with the years of CMC experience, but with the profile of use that students dynamically adopt according to their daily needs and preferences. The results provide evidence for the current CMC use by university students and can be useful for the implementation of further academic policies regarding CMC use in Higher Education settings.     

Configurations of Relationships in Different Media: FtF, Email, Instant Messenger, Mobile Phone, and SMS

This study analyzes the configurations of communication relationships in Korea through face-to-face, email, instant messaging, mobile phone, and short message service media. Through a web survey, we asked respondents to identify (1) for each of the five media (2) up to five of their most frequent communication partners, (3) the partner's social role (including colleagues, family, friends), and (4) their own employment category. Individual-level and network-level analyses were used to compare variations in communication relationships and configurations of relationships among social roles overall, within each medium, and for different employment categories, and to identify configurations of relationships across media. IM, SMS, and mobile phone are distinctive media for students, mobile phone for homeworkers, and email for organizational workers. Moreover, mobile phones tend to be used in reinforcing strong social ties, and text-based CMC media tend to be used in expanding relationships with weak ties. Finally, face-to-face (FtF) seems to be a universal medium without significant differences across respondents' employment categories.     

Understanding risk-taking behavior of groups: A “decision analysis” perspective

Past research has extensively investigated the effect of media, especially focusing on how anonymity increases risk-related behaviors of groups when using computer-mediated communication (CMC). This study extends prior research by examining the differences in group risk-taking behaviors between face-to-face groups and completely non-anonymous CMC groups (i.e., groups working in a fully identified, synchronous CMC environment similar to popular instant messaging systems utilized widely within organizations). Drawing on the “decision analysis” perspective, a key framework for understanding organizational decision-making, the study also examines the effects of the firm's risk preferences as well as the type of information distribution among group members (i.e., full information known to all group members versus partial information know by only some of the members) on the groups' risk-taking behaviors. Results from a laboratory experiment using student subjects found no differences in risk-taking behaviors between CMC and face-to-face groups; additionally, no differences were found related to how information was distributed among group members. A significant effect was found, however, for the risk preference of the firm, showing that risk-neutral firms influenced groups to make riskier decisions than groups from risk-averse firms. Finally, groups within risk-neutral firms receiving partial information made riskier decisions than groups receiving full information. The implications of these results for future research and practice are examined.     

Cultural Effects on Use of Online Social Media for Health-Related Information Acquisition and Sharing in Taiwan

The aims of this study were to use the technology acceptance model to examine how the cultural characteristics of social media users in Taiwan affect their use of social media for acquiring and sharing health-related information and to examine how their use of online social media benefits their social relationships and health self-efficacy. The research model in this quantitative cross-sectional study was tested with data collected from 321 active Facebook users in Taiwan. All three cultural characteristics/dimensions considered in the research model (masculinity, collectivism, and uncertainty avoidance) significantly affected the perceived usefulness and the perceived ease of using the online social media platform. However, masculinity had a significant positive effect on perceived usefulness but not on perceived ease of use. These results imply that technology tools for people in high masculinity cultures should be designed to maximize the effectiveness of the technology for achieving goals rather than to maximize the ease of using the technology. On the other hand, the use of online social media for acquiring and sharing health-related information significantly affected the social relationships of users but not their health self-efficacy. The results of this study imply that participants in online communities share health-related information not only to enhance their health but also to form strong social connections. This study proposes a new construct of technology acceptance, acquisition, and sharing of health-related information and investigates its effects on social relationships and health self-efficacy.     

Is communication competence still good for interpersonal media?: Mobile phone and instant messenger

The concept of communication competence has developed in the area of nonmediated interpersonal communication. With the advent of digital media, interpersonal communication has been heavily dependent on interpersonal media. The sharp distinction between theories for nonmediated communication and mediated communication is disappearing. The interconnectedness of face-to-face communication and mediated interpersonal communication is a salient current phenomenon. To explore the relation between two communication types this study investigated the relevance of the concept of communication competence with the interpersonal digital media; mobile phone, SMS, and instant messenger. Three facets were examined in particular: namely, the direct effects of communication competence and the indirect effects through individuals’ cognitive process for interpersonal media and individuals’ characteristics in interpersonal communication. The hypothesized model of mediated interpersonal communication competence was analyzed using structural equation model. The results revealed that communication competence was positively associated with mediated interpersonal communication competence. The indirect effects of communication competence through media efficacy and social presence were empirically supported. Relationship maintenance was found to mediate the effect of communication competence on mediated interpersonal communication competence. The links of two different communication fields and the theoretical implications of the findings were further discussed.     

A model of group satisfaction in computer-mediated communication and face-to-face meetings

This study attempts to present a model of member satisfaction with group decision process. Three variables: ease of use (EOU) of the communication medium; participation; and decision confidence (DC), were explored as determinants of member satisfaction. The study offers an explanation of the effects of these variables on group process satisfaction in two communication media: a nearly synchronous text-based computermediated communication (CMC) and traditional face-to-face communication (FTF). Results indicate that these variables were good predictors of member satisfaction. Regression and correlation analyses help to validate the model for the two communication media using the ordering of the predictor variables and the strength of the relationship. Results confirm that ease of use showed the most contribution to satisfaction and that ease of use is lower in CMC than in FTF. The findings also confirm the effect of communication medium on member satisfaction.     

Liberating or debilitating? An examination of romantic relationships,sexual relationships and friendships on the Net

Ever since the beginnings of the internet researchers have questioned its utility in developing and maintaining psychological healthy romantic and sexual relations. Advocates of the social presence theory and media richness theory purport that in leaner media individuals can be quite aggressive towards one another (e.g., in the form of flaming). In contrast, others believe that the lack of traditional cues in CMC can in fact be overcome and instead lead to more personal, intimate relationships. As this paper will demonstrate, when we consider how beneficial it is to form relationships online we also need to consider individuals’ characteristics (e.g., personality characteristics and physical attractiveness), the amount of time people spend online, the duration of online relationships, and how these relationships effect individuals’ offline activities and relationships. Overall, the view here is that online relationships can be empowering for many people; that is, cyberspace provides a unique environment for people to experience and learn about relationships and sexuality.     

Genre in the Design Space

When doing research on design and genre development in digital media and for mobile platforms based on a combination of analysis and practical development, integrating the different aspects in a coherent model presents a challenge. This article outlines such a model, in which design is key to understanding the relationships between technology, genre, and practical development. The model is based on research on digital media and practical development of services for mobile devices. Overall, the model contributes to a methodology that combines genre studies and design-related research.     

Computer-mediated communication,de-individuation and group decision-making

This paper discusses social psychological processes in computer-mediated communication (CMC) and group decision-making, in relation to findings that groups communicating via computer produce more polarized decisions than face-to-face groups. A wide range of possible explanations for such differences have been advanced, in which a lack of social cues, disinhibition, “de-individuation” and a consequent tendency to antinormative behaviour are central themes. In these explanations, both disinhibition and greater equality of participation are thought to facilitate the exchange of extreme persuasive arguments, resulting in polarization. These accounts are briefly reviewed and attention is drawn to various problematic issues. We provide an alternative model and explanation based on social identity (SI) theory and a re-conceptualization of de-individuation, which takes into account the social and normative factors associated with group polarization. Predictions from both sets of explanations are explored empirically by means of an experiment manipulating the salience of the discussion group, and de-individuation operationalized as the isolation and anonymity of the participants. In this experiment we were able to partial out the effects of the CMC technology which have confounded comparisons with face-to-face interaction in previous research. The results challenge the explanations based on persuasive arguments, while being consistent with our SI model. We discuss our approach in relation to other very recent research in group computer-mediated communication and offer a reinterpretation of previous findings.     

Are young generations in secondary school digitally competent? A study on Italian teenagers

Digital competences amongst the younger generations and the role of schools faced with the spread of new youth practices are topics of increasing interest. Some commentators state that, thanks to the intensive use of digital media, young people are developing significant competences that also correspond to important cognitive processes and new learning styles. However, other authors emphasize that there is no evidence about the positive impact of new technological practices on the development of significant cognitive abilities.In this paper we present a research study carried out in Italian schools on adolescents’ (aged 14-16) digital competence. On the basis of a preliminary theoretical model, a digital competence questionnaire was formulated and subsequently administered to a sample of secondary school students.The aim was to verify whether adolescents’ digital skills are limited to simple technical aspects or expand beyond them including a range of more significant knowledge and skills related to a conceptual understanding of technology, socio-relational knowledge and high-order cognitive skills. Like other studies, this research shows that when attention is shifted from strictly technical aspects to critical cognitive and socio-ethical dimensions involved in the use of technologies, students’ knowledge and competences result inadequate. The authors conclude that the optimistic portrayal of younger generations’ digital competences is poorly founded. Furthermore, it is pointed out that understanding students’ digital competence levels through fast assessment tools is a fundamental opportunity for schools to analyse deficiencies and prepare adequate intervention strategies.     

Rationalist assumptions in cross-media comparisons of computer-mediated communication

Users' comparisons between computer-mediated communication (CMC) and other forms of communication are of theoretical interest and have important implications for system design and implementation. This paper outlines the prevalent systems-rationalist perspective on CMC, which sees the medium primarily as an efficient channel for information transfer in specific organizational tasks, and critically reviews the evidence that studies of users' perceptions and media preferences offer for this generalized view. In advocating a widening of our perspective on CMC, a field study is described in which electronic mail users within a large commercial telecommunications company were invited to compare eight different communication activities, using repertory grid technique. From a total of 91 user-generated constructs, five principal dimensions were identified that accounted for users' discriminations among the different activities. Electronic mailing was construed as being similar to written activities (such as note-writing) on some dimensions (e.g., ' asynchrony', ' emotional quality' but similar to spoken, face-to-face communication on other dimensions such as ' spontaneity'. The results suggest that the group of users construed CMC mainly in terms of its attributes as a medium for conversation and social interaction. There was no evidence of spontaneous task-related media comparisons. These results together with findings from other studies are discussed in terms of rationalist and symbolic interactionist perspectives on CMC. Implications for system design are also considered.     

Testing alternative models of individuals’ social media involvement and satisfaction

This study extends the Technology Acceptance Model 3 (TAM 3) within the context of the rapidly evolving area of social media. Since social media requires the user’s active participation and processing of information as well as the creation of user-generated content, this timely study introduces the two relevant constructs of social media involvement and social media satisfaction that are associated with TAM 3. This study then develops three alternative conceptual models and empirically validates each of them using datasets obtained from the United States and Saudi Arabia. The LISREL analysis results show that the Dual Mediation Impact model is the best-fit model for both datasets. Further, the results show that a user’s social media involvement and social media satisfaction are dual mediators of the TAM 3 factors on social media usage intention. While the two country data show some differences in the strength of the relationships in the Dual Mediation Impact model, the identified model provides a common framework for global use. Implications and future research directions are discussed.     

Understanding compulsive social media use: The premise of complementing self-conceptions mismatch with technology

Some anecdotal accounts and research reports have suggested that obsessive social media involvement could turn into a compulsive behavior among university students. Unfortunately, the research that sheds light on the possible conditional nature of that relationship is scarce at best. Therefore, this study tries to address this issue by developing a contingency-based model and tests it using data gathered from a sample of university students. The model postulates that compulsive social media use arises due to self-awareness factors, and together they in turn predict problematic learning outcomes. It also postulates that these relationships are moderated by the influence of technological factors. The results indicate that self-esteem has a significant negative influence on compulsive social media use and that interaction anxiousness has a significant positive influence on the same. The results also reveal that only compulsive social media use has a significant direct influence on problematic learning outcomes; and that social media complementarity plays a moderating role in the model. We discuss the implications of these findings for research and practice.     

Communication media choice by workers in distributed environment

Information technology (IT) is the facilitator for successful implementation of distributed-work. However, research on the implication of different types of IT in distributed-work in an organization is limited. The aim of our research was to study the distributed-worker’s media use empirically, and determine the influential factors that affect the media selection and its effect on distributed-work. To achieve the objectives of the research, a hypothetical model that shows the relationships between media use and contextual factors, individual characteristics, media richness, and social influence was developed and validated. Distributed-workers’ day-to-day, job related, communication information was collected through log-sheets. Data analysis showed that simple communication media, such as telephone and e-mail, is effective enough for carrying out job related activities from remote sites. Contextual, individual, and social level factors were found to influence the media selection of distributed-workers. Though, e-mail is thought to be a lean medium in media richness theory, this study shows that e-mail oriented workers use it effectively even for complex communication tasks, such as discussion.     

Harmonious and obsessive Internet passion,competence, and self-worth: A study of high school students in the United States and Russia

This study uses a dualistic model of passion to examine the relationships between Internet passion and perceptions of competence and general self-worth among high school students in the United States and Russia. Indirect relationships between harmonious and obsessive Internet passion and general self-worth, and the mediating roles of cognitive and social competence were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The majority of the findings were identical in both the U.S. and Russian samples. Harmonious Internet passion was found to be positively related to cognitive and social competence, and general self-worth, while obsessive Internet passion was negatively related to the three constructs. Culture-specific findings include the mediating role of social competence on the relationship between harmonious and obsessive Internet passion and general self-worth in the United States, but not in Russia. This research contributes to the ongoing debate about whether excessive Internet use is good or bad by demonstrating that it can be both depending on the type of passion involved. This study provides direction for high school administrators and parents about how to effectively capitalize on the benefits of Internet use by encouraging harmonious passion and discouraging obsessive passion.     

Dynamics of cognitive load theory: A model-based approach

Since its conception nearly two decades ago, cognitive load theory (CLT) has been a fertile ground for both empirical and theoretical investigations. The research accumulated over the years has contributed not only to the theory’s validation, but also generated new insights. These new insights helped to refine CLT, making it more precise, but also more complex. A formal (mathematical) simulation model is proposed as a new analytical tool for investigating CLT’s increasingly intricate postulates and their dynamic implications. This paper describes how the theoretical relationships between certain features of instruction and the cognitive capacities of learners can be expressed formally, and how the resulting model can help gain insights into the learning dynamics that arise from these relationships, providing a new aid for research, teaching and practice in the field of instructional design.     

Beyond Bandwidth: Dimensions of Connection in Interpersonal Communication

Computer-mediated communication (CMC) is a keystone of computer-supported collaborative work. Current CMC theory utilizes an information channel metaphor in which media vary according to how well they afford the transfer of messages in the channel, i.e., bandwidth. This paper draws attention to a different aspect of communication argued to be equally important: a relation between people that defines a state of communicative readiness in which fruitful communication is likely. Drawing on research on instant messaging (Nardi et al., 2000) and face to face communication (Nardi et al., 2002; Nardi and Whittaker, 2003), as well as related literature, three dimensions of connection that activate readiness are proposed: affinity, commitment, and attention. These dimensions comprise a field of connection between dyads. A field of connection is conceptualized as a labile, multidimensional space in which the values of the dimensions vary according to the history of communicative activity. Affinity, commitment, and attention are constantly monitored, negotiated, and managed through social bonding, expression of commitment, and capture of attention. The management of fields of connection requires significant interactional work to sustain communication over time.