ComputerMediated Communication

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Computer-Mediated Communication

• An Online Guest Lecture by
• Brenda J. Allen, Ph.D.
• COMM 2600 March, 1999

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Welcome!

• This online lecture and discussion addresses CMC
  theory.
• Work with your partner to read materials and
  answer questions.
• Enjoy!

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(No Transcript)
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Discuss with your Partner

• Do you think this type of technology is possible?
  Why or Why Not?
• Would you like to use this type of technology?
  Why or Why Not?
• What communication technologies do we use that
  people who lived 100 years ago might not have
  imagined?

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Media Choice Theories

• Researchers have wondered why people choose
  particular media (e.g., face-to-face --F2F,
  telephone, handwritten letter, e-mail) to
  communicate with one another.
• What way of communicating do you tend to prefer?
  Why? DISCUSS
• What variables (e.g., time) influence your choice
  of medium when you want to communicate with
  someone? DISCUSS

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Media Choice Theories

• Some researchers believe that we choose based
  upon matching the media with the type of
  message.
• This view of human behavior contends that we
  choose based upon characteristics of the medium
  itself.
• One example of media characteristics theory is
  SOCIAL PRESENCE THEORY.

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Social Presence Theory

• Social presence is the degree to which a medium
  allows a communicator to experience another
  person as being psychologically present (Short,
  Williams, Christie, 1976). (See your worksheet
  for more details.)
• Theorists place media along a line that
  represents low to high social presence
  LOW_____________________HIGH

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Social Presence Theory

• According to SP theory, face to face
  communication has the highest social presence.
• LOW_______________________HIGH ?? face to
  face
• Refer to your Worksheet (7) to work with your
  partner to fill out your SP line.

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References

• Clarke, A.C. (1986). Arthur C. Clarke's July 20,
  2019 Life in the 21st century. New York
  MacMillan.
• Short, J., Williams, E., Christie, B. (1976).
  The social psychology of telecommunications.
  London Wiley.