Abstract
People’s choices of (electronic) communication channels are central to the quality of communication—and sometimes detrimental to their actual communication goals. However, while factors influencing media choice are abundant, potential means to intentionally influence these choices are scarce within computer-mediated communication research. We explore the role of regulatory focus as one possible factor to understand and influence media choice in interpersonal conflicts. Regulatory focus theory proposes two motivational systems, promotion (i.e., needs for nurturance and growth) and prevention (i.e., needs for safety and security), that account for differences in preferred strategies for goal-pursuit. In a vignette-based study, we manipulated the situational regulatory focus (promotion or prevention) and surveyed participants’ preferred media choice for a hypothetical conflict scenario. Our results show that the induction of a dominant prevention focus (vs. promotion focus) leads to a shift in preference towards leaner communication media and channels that establish a higher subjective buffer between sender and receiver (e.g., text-messaging over calling). We elaborate on how these findings contribute to the understanding of media choice in interpersonal conflicts and point out potential ways to influence behavior through the design of communication technologies. Limitations of the present study and future research opportunities are discussed.
Highlights
IntroductionCommunication nowadays takes place via a plethora of devices and services
More than ever, communication nowadays takes place via a plethora of devices and services
We explored the relationship between different communication media and their assigned buffer scores, assuming that media with those characteristics that label a medium as rich should in turn lead to less buffering experiences
Summary
Communication nowadays takes place via a plethora of devices and services. In the light of a world that has been hit by the covid-19 pandemic, resulting in lockdowns and social distancing, face-to-face conversations have been increasingly replaced by computer-mediated communication (CMC). This puts even more emphasis on the appropriate choices of communication media for such purposes that previously might have been addressed in person, since communication itself and its outcomes can be significantly affected by the channel it funnels through [1]. In order to bridge this gap, it would be relevant to identify potential adjusting factors to influence media choices without changing the cornerstones of a given situation Such knowledge could pave the way towards means to deliberately elicit beneficial media choices as suggested by pertinent theories and empirical research
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