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Computer-Mediated Communication Computer-Mediated Communication SNEAK PREVIEW For more information on adopting this title for your course, please contact us at: [email protected] or 800-200-3908 COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION Approaches and Perspectives John C. Sherblom University of Maine SAN DIEGO Bassim Hamadeh, CEO and Publisher Todd R. Armstrong, Publisher Tony Paese, Project Editor Sean Adams, Production Editor Emely Villavicencio, Senior Graphic Designer Danielle Gradisher, Licensing Associate Natalie Piccotti, Director of Marketing Kassie Graves, Vice President of Editorial Jamie Giganti, Director of Academic Publishing Copyright © 2020 by John C. Sherblom. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted, re- produced, transmitted, or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information retrieval system without the written permission of Cognella, Inc. For inquiries regarding permissions, translations, foreign rights, audio rights, and any other forms of reproduction, please contact the Cognella Licensing Department at [email protected]. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Cover image copyright © Copyright © iStockphoto LP/shulz. Printed in the United States of America. Cognella Inc., San Diego, California. ISBN: 978-1-5165-3065-6 (pbk) / 978-1-5165-3066-3 (br) Brief Contents Chapter 1 Introduction to Approaches and Perspectives 1 Section i Constraints 13 Chapter 2 Media Richness 15 Chapter 3 Media Naturalness 31 Chapter 4 Affordances and Domestication 47 Section ii Experience 63 Chapter 5 Presence and Social Presence 65 Chapter 6 Propinquity 81 Section iii Language 95 Chapter 7 Social Information Processing Theory and Hyperpersonal Perspective 97 Chapter 8 Social Identity Model of Deindividuation Effects 113 Section iV Opportunities 125 Chapter 9 Identity and Virtual Identities 127 Chapter 10 Virtual Networks and Virtual Teams 141 Chapter 11 Virtual Communities 157 Section V Implications 171 Chapter 12 The Proteus Effect 173 Chapter 13 Actor Networks, Media Niches, and Social Implications 185 vv Contents Preface xv Chapter 1 Introduction to Approaches and Perspectives 1 Human Communication and Computer-Mediated Communication 2 Human Communication 2 Computer-Mediated Communication 2 Approaches to CMC 2 Constraints 2 Experience 3 Language 3 Opportunities 3 Implications 3 Perspectives on CMC 4 Constraints 4 Experience 4 Language 4 Opportunities 4 Implications 5 Relational Communication, Constraints, and CMC 6 Perspectives in Context 6 Illustration of Concepts 6 Analysis and Critique 6 Usefulness of Concepts 8 Looking Forward to Media Richness 8 Communication Ethics Challenge: What Are Communication Ethics? 8 Keywords and Phrases 9 Questions for Further Discussion 10 Further Reading 10 Section i Constraints 13 Chapter 2 Media Richness 15 Media Richness Theory 15 Four Communication Constraints of a Medium 16 Fit the Communication to the Medium 17 First, Language–Medium Fit 18 Second, Communication Task Efficiency–Medium Fit 19 Third, Communication Function–Medium Fit 20 vii Human Communication Agency and Constraints 21 Perspective in Context 22 Illustration of Concepts 22 Analysis and Critique 22 Usefulness of Concepts 26 Looking Forward to Media Naturalness 26 Communication Ethics Challenge: Choosing a Lean Medium: For Whose Benefit? 26 Keywords and Phrases 27 Questions for Further Discussion 28 Further Reading 28 Chapter 3 Media Naturalness 31 Media Naturalness Theory 31 Humans Naturally Optimized for Face-to-Face Communication 32 Five Characteristics of Human Communication Naturalness 33 Cognitive Effort, Communication Ambiguity, and Physiological Arousal 35 Increased Cognitive Effort 35 Cognitive Schemas and Communication Ambiguity 36 Decreased Physiological Arousal 36 The Speech Imperative, Cognitive Adaptation, and Schema Alignment 37 The Speech Imperative 37 Cognitive Adaptation and Schema Alignment 37 Naturalness of a CMC Medium 37 Perspective in Context 39 Illustration of Concepts 39 Analysis and Critique 40 Usefulness of Concepts 42 Looking Forward to Affordances 43 Communication Ethics Challenge: Whose Cognitive Effort is Required? 43 Keywords and Phrases 44 Questions for Further Discussion 45 Further Reading 45 Chapter 4 Affordances and Domestication 47 Affordances 47 Affordances in the Natural Environment 48 Affordances of CMC 49 Technological, Group, Social, and Communication Affordances 51 Technological Affordances 51 Group Affordances 52 Social Affordances 52 Communication Affordances 53 Implications 54 Domestication 55 Perspective in Context 55 Illustration of Concepts 55 Analysis and Critique 57 Usefulness of Concepts 57 Looking Forward to Presence and Social Presence 58 viii CONTENTS Communication Ethics Challenge: Facilitating Group Discussion Through Affordances? 58 Keywords and Phrases 59 Questions for Further Discussion 60 Further Reading 60 Section II Experience 63 Chapter 5 Presence and Social Presence 65 Presence and Social Presence 66 Presence: Mediated, Spatial, and Physical Telepresence 66 Social Presence: Personal Presence, Self-Presence, and Copresence 67 Social Presence and Social Copresence 67 Ambient and Connected Presence 68 Ambient Presence 68 Connected Presence 69 Visually Anonymous, Asynchronous, Text-Based Communication 71 Visual Anonymity 71 Asynchronous Communication 71 Text-Based Communication 72 Interpersonal Trust, Interactivity, Openness, and Satisfaction 73 Interpersonal Trust 73 Participant Interactivity 73 Conversational Openness 74 Communication Satisfaction 74 Perspective in Context 74 Illustration of Concepts 74 Analysis and Critique 75 Usefulness of Concepts 76 Looking Forward to Propinquity 77 Communication Ethics Challenge: The Ethics of Social Presence 77 Keywords and Phrases 78 Questions for Further Discussion 79 Further Reading 79 Chapter 6 Propinquity 81 The Theory of Electronic Propinquity 82 Propinquity 82 Physical Proximity and Electronic Propinquity 82 Electronic Propinquity and Social Presence 82 Seven Influences on Propinquity 82 Six Propositions of Electronic Propinquity 83 Electronic Propinquity or Media Richness? 83 Information, Rules, and Communicator Skill 84 Propinquity in Rich to Lean Medium 84 Additional Contributions of Electronic Propinquity Theory 84 Perception of Propinquity 84 Choice of Medium 85 Multiple, Interacting Influences on Propinquity 86 CONTENTS ix Propinquity as a Relational Perception 87 Propinquity Offers a Better Explanation Than Media Richness Theory 87 A Complex System of Relational Propinquity 88 Perspective in Context 89 Illustration of Concepts 89 Analysis and Critique 90 Usefulness of Concepts 91 Looking Forward to Social Information Processing Theory 91 Communication Ethics Challenge: Making Ethical Propinquity Choices 92 Keywords and Phrases 93 Questions for Further Discussion 93 Further Reading 94 Section III Language 95 Chapter 7 Social Information Processing Theory and Hyperpersonal Perspective 97 Cues Filtered Out and Social Information Processing 98 Social Cognition 98 Reduced Social Cues 98 Similar Social Cognitive Processes 98 Social Penetration and Interpersonal Uncertainty Reduction 99 Social Penetration 99 Interpersonal Uncertainty Reduction 100 Information Gathering Strategies 100 Social Information Processing Theory 101 Time and Impressions 102 Substituting Verbal for Nonverbal Cues 102 Additional Text-Based Language Cues 103 The Hyperpersonal Perspective 103 Communicating to Be Liked 104 Visually Anonymous, Text-Based, Asynchronous Presentation of Self 104 Reallocated Cognitive Resources and Reciprocal Processes 104 A Hyperpersonal Presentation of Self 105 Positively Skewed Presentations of Self 105 Hyperpersonal Relationships 106 Perspective in Context 107 Illustration of Concepts 107 Analysis and Critique 108 Usefulness of Concepts 108 Looking Forward to the Social Identity Model of Deindividuation 109 Communication Ethics Challenge: Is an Edited Self-Presentation Ethical? 109 Keywords and Phrases 110 Questions for Further Discussion 110 Further Reading 111 x CONTENTS Chapter 8 Social Identity Model of Deindividuation Effects 113 A Model of Social Identity 113 Defining Identity 114 Deindividuation 114 Deindividuation Effects 114 Depersonalization 115 Communication Accommodation 115 Deindividuation and Depersonalization in CMC 116 Deindividuation of Text-Based Language Cues 116 Depersonalization of Visual Anonymity 116 The Social Identity Model of Deindividuation Effects 117 Perspective in Context 118 Illustration of Concepts 118 Analysis and Critique 120 Usefulness of Concepts 120 Looking Forward to Identity and Virtual Identity 121 Communication Ethics Challenge: What Are the Ethics of Personal Identity Expression and Social Role Conformity? 121 Keywords and Phrases 122 Questions for Further Discussion 123 Further Reading 123 Section iV Opportunities 125 Chapter 9 Identity and Virtual Identities 127 Identity 127 Personal Identity 127 Actualized Dimensions of Identity 128 Cultural Environment 128 The Communication of Identity 129 Virtual Identity 131 Private and Public Self-Consciousness 131 Characteristics of a Virtual Environment 131 Implications for Identity Construction in a Virtual Environment 133 Identity in a Virtual Environment 133 Perspective in Context 135 Illustration of Concepts 135 Analysis and Critique 135 Usefulness of Concepts 136 Looking Forward
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