Transcript A Self-awareness Approach to Computer

Computer-Mediated Communication
What is CMC?
Broadly, Computer-Mediated
Communication (CMC) can be defined as
any form of data exchange across two or
more networked computers.
 Narrowly, it refers to human to human
communication via computerized
technologies (e.g., IM, ICQ, video
conference, etc.).
 It is often pitched against what’s known as
Face-to-face (FfF) communication.

CMC vs. HCI
In many ways, the difference between CMC and HCI
are not fundamental differences. But they focus on
different characteristics of new media technologies.
 HCI focuses on characteristics of the technology and
individual user’s psychological processes.
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◦ Interactivity
◦ Presence
◦ Cognition
CMC vs. HCI

CMC focuses on characteristics of the
communicative environment and user
interactions
◦ Anonymity (being anonymous)
◦ Synchronicity (real-time vs. delayed
conversation)
◦ Relationship development
◦ Impression formation
Computer-Mediated
Communication
The ability of engaging in anonymous
communication is believed to be a very
important feature of CMC.
 Different levels of anonymity
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◦ True anonymity
◦ Visual anonymity
◦ Perceived anonymity
Computer-Mediated
Communication

Earlier research suggest that anonymity
would lead to impersonal
(depersonalized) communication
◦ Anonymity and distance lead to a decrease in
self-awareness
◦ Decrease in self-awareness lead to
deindividualtion
Computer-Mediated
Communication

What is self-awareness?
◦ at any given moment, an individual’s attention can be
directed either outward to the external environment
toward things such as tasks, other people, or the
social context, or directed inward to various aspects
of the self (Duval & Wicklund, 1972).
◦ The different features of the self can be categorized
into two major parts (Fenigstein, Scheier, & Buss,
1975):
 The public self
 physical appearance, table manners, and accent.
 the private self
 personal beliefs, hidden inner feelings, thoughts, and memories that are
covert to others including religious beliefs and childhood memories
Computer-Mediated
Communication
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Public Self-awareness
◦ Attention is directed towards to the public
aspects of the self
◦ Public self-awareness has consistently been
found to cause conformity towards perceived
majority opinions (Duval & Wicklund, 1972;
Froming, Walker, & Lopyan, 1982; Scheier &
Carver, 1980; Wicklund & Duval, 1971)
◦ It can be heightened by the presence of film
or video cameras
Computer-Mediated
Communication

Private Self-awareness
◦ Attention is directed towards to those private
aspects of the self
◦ has been shown to cause individuals to be
more aware of, and more responsive to, their
emotions (Scheier, 1976; Scheier & Carver,
1977), and engage in more self-disclosure
(Joinson, 2001)..
◦ It can be heightened by the presence of a
small mirror & self-portrait.
Computer-Mediated
Communication
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Theoretically, Many explanations of both pro- and antisocial behaviors in computer-mediated communication
(CMC) appear to hinge on changes in individual selfawareness.
Empirically, very few studies directly tested the effect of
self-awareness on common outcomes of CMC research.
◦ although self-awareness has been found to impact self-disclosure
& persuasion in CMC (Joinson, 2001; Matheson & Zanna, 1988;
1989),
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Three dominant perspectives on CMC:
◦ Deindividuation
◦ Social Identity Explanations of Deindividuation (SIDE)
◦ Hyperpersonal
Deindividuation Effects in CMC

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“computer-mediated communication seems
to comprise some of the same conditions
that are important for deindividuation—
anonymity, reduced self-regulation, and
reduced self-awareness” (Kiesler, Siegel, &
McGuire, 1984, p. 1126).
the reduction of social cues in CMC can
decrease users’ overall self-awareness,
leading to a state of deindividuation, thereby
fostering interactions that are more taskoriented, impersonal, and in some cases even
uninhibited and anti-normative.
Deindividuation Effects in CMC

Visual anonymity allows us to communicate with
each other without worrying about many other
social information (social identities)
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Appearance
Skin color
Gender
Age
As a consequence, we tend to
◦ Communicate more honestly with less bias
◦ Communicate more freely with less social constraints
◦ Focus on the tasks rather than the socio-emotional
aspects of the conversation.
Deindividuation Effects in CMC

Deindividuation is good for decision making
and corporate environment
◦ Less influenced by power structure
◦ Speak more freely and thus encourages creativity
◦ Focusing on tasks and not bothered by social
formality
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Deindividuation is bad for social
environment
◦ Difficult to be personal
◦ Conversation may become direct and cold
(impersonal)
SIDE effects in CMC

The visually anonymous environment of CMC
heightens one’s sensitivity to group and social
identities
◦ You try to guess what other’s group identity is by looking
for non-verbal clues
◦ You start to act according to your guesses

how an individual acts in CMC depends on the
salience of the individual’s group identity and the
norms of the group in which the individual is
communicating
SIDE effects in CMC
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According to this perspective, deindividuation
may not always be impersonal.
◦ Just because a conversation is visually anonymous, it
doesn’t mean that we don’t engage in self-regulation
and monitoring
◦ What is important is which social identity is salient at
the moment
Hyperpersonal Communication in CMC
visual anonymity of CMC enables users to mask
physical or behavioral cues that are undesirable,
and selectively self-disclose more favorable
information.
 Thus, communication in CMC, due to
anonymity, allow a person to strategically create
an “ideal self” to present to the other person.
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Hyperpersonal Communication in CMC
This allows communicators to carefully
think about what to say, how to say it, and
when to say it.
 It also allows individuals to use their
imagination to “idealize” the person
whom they are talking to.
 Thus, leading to intense social
relationships beyond normal level (hyperpersonal).

CMC (summary)
Compare to FtF, CMC allows
communicators to be more strategic.
 It may lead to impersonal communication,
or hyperpersonal communication,
although this may seem contradicting.
 People tend to form impressions about
each other based on group cues, and
imagination.

CMC (summary)
However…
 CMC is becoming more sophisticated
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Video
Audio
Profile
Text
Previous research seems to be a bit
outdated