An Exploratory Study of the Effects of Frequency and Duration of Messaging on Impression Development in Computer-Mediated Communication

Abstract

This experimental study indicates that computer-mediated communication (CMC) is a viable mode of social-emotion-oriented communication. In this study, the effects of frequency and duration of messaging on impression development in CMC were investigated. Undergraduate participants were randomly assigned to each of the four experimental groups. For a period of 2 weeks, participants monitored discussion lists that differed in relation to the frequency and duration of messaging in asynchronous CMC environments. ANOVA results indicated that duration and frequency had significant main effects on impression development in asynchronous CMC environments. No interaction effects were found. The results of this study support the social-emotion-oriented model in CMC.

Keywords

frequency of messaging duration of messaging impression development nonverbal cues computer-mediated communication social-emotion-oriented model social-information-processing model

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