Computer-mediated Communication Modes Research Articles

Computer-Mediated Communication: Application to Vocational English Education

Recent research on the use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) tends to focus on how CMC occurs and how to effectively apply Internet-based technologies into classrooms in general while little evidence has been found on the application of CMC tools to teach English language for workplace purposes. Therefore, this article aims to explore the use of CMC as an alternative platform for teaching English for vocational purposes. For this purpose, the current paper is based on library research combining synthesis and analysis of more than thirty empirical and non-empirical articles which were published in journals, conference proceedings, books, and conference presentations. The findings center around specifying: (i) the characteristics of vocational English education and the key theoretical frameworks and pedagogical models that underpin the use of CMC in teaching English for vocational purposes; (ii) the impacts of CMC mode on the students’ language learning outcomes and vocational skill development, and (iii) the needed preparation of educators for the successful use of CMC. The results offer insights into the growth of CMC use as an effective platform in vocational English education.

Getting into flow during virtual meetings: How virtual meetings can benefit employee functioning in the work- and home domain

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a majority of the global workforce turned to virtual meetings for work-related communication and continues to do so as part of the shift to hybrid work. This change in communication patterns has led to an increased scholarly emphasis on the costs of virtual meetings for employees. The present study adds to this emerging field of research by taking a theory-led approach to highlight that alongside costs there are benefits to spending time in virtual meetings for employee functioning. Specifically, we integrate the concept of flow experiences and the Conservation of Resources theory to expand our understanding of the psychological mechanisms that link daily time spent in virtual meetings to employees' functioning in the work (i.e., task performance and counterproductive work behavior) and home domains (i.e., work-family conflict and need for recovery). More specifically, we argue that the benefits of virtual meetings manifest through flow experiences and associated reduced within-day changes in cognitive depletion. Furthermore, we identify low emotional dissonance as a contingency in virtual meetings that can strengthen the benefits of this mode of computer mediated communication. Results from two daily diary studies largely support the hypothesized relationships. Our findings have important theoretical and practical implications for employee functioning in the ‘new normal’ of hybrid work.

Toward a Greater Understanding of the Use of Nonverbal Cues To Deception in Computer-Mediated Communication

Background: Computer-mediated communication (CMC) is an important part of work life. However, this communication can be dishonest, and when people attempt to judge dishonesty, irrespective of the cues available, they tend to rely on a few nonverbal cues that are not the most reliable. Literature review: According to leakage theory, CMC modes differ from each other in the number of cues to deception they can transmit, potentially affecting one's ability to detect deception in a given medium. There is considerable research on peoples’ use of nonverbal cues across CMC modes to evaluate deception, but limited understanding of the choices they make and the extent to which their deception judgments are impaired or helped by cues they have access to for different CMC modes. Research questions: 1. To what extent are the nonverbal cues that people say they rely on to detect deception shaped by the medium that they use for communication? 2. What are the effects of nonverbal cue availability on deception detection success? Methodology: We conducted an experiment with 132 veracity judges from New Zealand and Jamaica, who observed interview segments in Spanish and Hindi (languages that they did not understand) to isolate the effects of nonverbal cues. They determined the veracity of each segment and listed the things that guided their judgment. Results/discussion: The results suggest that when certain nonverbal cues are available, such as gaze aversion, these suppress attention to more reliable cues (e.g., voice pitch) when judging deception. Redirecting attention to more reliable cues is therefore important. Unexpectedly, cue choice also varied across language by medium. Conclusions: The findings extend the understanding of people's use of nonverbal cues and the extent to which certain cues distract in the deception judgment. Although people rely on vocalic cues in audio-only media and kinesic cues in video-only media, they tend to rely mostly on, and are distracted by, a few kinesic cues for full audiovisual media, even though vocalic cues are available. We also found that people can successfully detect cues to deception, even when their communication mode is relatively bereft of useful information. However, the availability (or lack) of nonverbal cues was not a factor in deception detection success. To improve detection, deception training that targets reliable cues for different media is needed.

Revisiting the Cognition Hypothesis: the impact of task complexity on L2 learner engagement in task performance in computer-mediated and face-to-face communication

Task complexity and communication modes are two task design and implementation factors that have been found to affect second language (L2) learners’ oral performance. While increasing task complexity and developing tasks according to the features of face-to-face and computer-mediated communication modes can optimise L2 production, few studies attend to how the two factors affect learner engagement in task performance–a crucial but under-explored concept contributing to academic achievement. To address this gap, this experimental study investigated the impact of task complexity (operationalised as ± pre-task planning time and ± intentional reasoning demand) and communication modes (synchronous video-based computer-mediated communication, SvCMC versus face-to-face real-time communication, FTF) on L2 learners’ engagement in interactive oral tasks. Sixty-four English-as-a-second-language (ESL) learners formed their self-initiated dyads to perform three interactive oral tasks (from simple to + complex and ++complex conditions) on Zoom or in a physical classroom. They were also interviewed about their affective responses to the tasks. The oral discourse of task performance and interview data were analysed in terms of behavioural, cognitive, emotional, and social engagement. The findings revealed that task complexity affected the behavioural and cognitive engagement of FTF and SvCMC learners. SvCMC learners were behaviourally more engaged in task performance than their FTF peers, but mixed results were found in cognitive engagement. Mixed affective responses were reported by FTF and SvCMC learners for all task conditions. The findings suggest that increasing task complexity may partially engage L2 learners, and teachers need to consider the affordances of the two communication modes when designing tasks to engage learners in L2 production.

Virtual performatives as face-work practices on Twitter: Relying on self-reference and humour

Self-referential third-person predications functioning as stand-alone virtual performatives, such as ∗shrugs∗, abound across modes of computer-mediated communication and interactive multimodal platforms. Their continued use, commonly involving manual addition of typographic elements, testifies to non-trivial communicative needs not satisfied by easy access to graphical icons, like the shrug emoji. This study investigates their contributions to the construction of face in mass messaging. Focusing on face-work practices on Twitter, the aim is to account for ways in which users employ virtual performatives in that noisy, opaque, and socially complex environment. Virtual performatives are examined in a sample of publicly visible tweets which are not retweets or replies to other users and do not contain names of people. Manifesting minimal addressivity, the constructions are shown to rely on self-reference for face-work, inviting imagined audiences of the like-minded to treat the action or emotion thus enacted virtually by an externalized self as something they can relate to. Virtual performatives are inherently playful, and the humour conveyed in the tweets including them is predominantly benevolent and tolerant. A central finding is the conspicuous presence of benign self-deprecating humour: as users seek social acceptance at their own expense, they seem not to take themselves too seriously.

Language use variation of L2 writers in weblog across different gender and genres

Despite the growing interest in investigating learners’ corpora, surprisingly little research has been conducted on the language use of L2 writers and its relation to the gender and genres in writing. Therefore, this study was aimed to find out the variation of language use in different genres or gender in weblogs, one of popular modes of computer-mediated communication (CMC). The study was done by conducting multivariate analysis using R program to weblog entries from a sample balanced of author gender (female or male) and weblog genre (diary or filter). Taking linguistic preferential features by Argamon et al (2003) and Pennebaker (2011) as dependent variables, the effect of genres or gender toward the use of the features was analyzed. The results showed that significant effects of several features can be considered as predictors. Personal pronouns and hedges (I think, and I believe) were found as predictors for diary; while the indefinite articles a/an and numbers were found as predictors for filter. As for the different language use by gender, female predictors were personal pronoun, verbs, negation, certainty words, and hedges. Meanwhile, the indefinite articles a/an, numbers, and preposition were the predictors of male writers.

Fragments online: virtual performatives in recreational discourse

ABSTRACT Virtual performatives constitute conspicuous digital fragments as they appear across modes of computer-mediated communication and social media platforms, irrespective of whether these are text-only or multimodal, and whether reciprocity is expected. Typical instances include typographically signalled, stand-alone predications in the third-person simple present tense which refer to the technology user. For instance, by typing in a performative predication such as *waves*, the user is instantaneously enacting the virtual action of waving. This article examines the form and function of such fragments in light of their use in two modes of recreational online discourse in English: discussion boards and microblogging. The study adds to the knowledge of textual fragments and has implications for the understanding of the intricacies of online discourse.

The effect of synchronous and asynchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC) on EFL learners' pragmatic competence

The aim of this study was to explore the effect of computer-mediated communication (CMC), as compared with traditional face-to-face instruction, on the acquisition of the request speech act. It also examined the differential impacts of synchronous and asynchronous CMC modes on pragmalinguistic and sociopragmatic competences. The participants were 106 Iranian EFL learners who received the treatment via synchronous (Syn), asynchronous (Asyn), and face-to-face (F-F) instruction types for eight sessions during an intensive extracurricular program. During each of the treatment sessions, the participants received the metapragmatic instruction; watched computerized video clips on requests; and then were paired with a partner to discuss some prescribed questions and to create their own dialogues based on the given situations. During this phase, they were engaged in synchronous text-based chat, asynchronous text-based chat, or face-to-face discussion, based on their group assignment. Prior to and after the treatment, the written discourse completion test (WDCT) pretest and post-test were administered. The data analysis by an ANCOVA and a series of t-tests showed the superiority of CMC-oriented instruction over F-F instruction. While no significant difference was found between Syn and Asyn groups in their post-test performance, they performed differentially on some measures of pragmalinguistic and sociopragmatic competences. The findings have pedagogical implications for EFL teachers, practitioners, and courseware designers to use CMC affordances for delivering pragmatics instruction.

COMMUNICATIVE-MEDIATORY FUNCTION OF SECONDARY TEXTREVIEWS

The present paper deals with English secondary TextReviews, an increasingly popular and non-trivial mode of computer-mediated communication, which provides popularisation of the book itself as well as the increase of motivation to reading. It is considered that TextReviews are oriented on pragmatically focused impact on the reader and perform communicative-mediatory function in society, creating the algorithm of behaviour of potential readers. Particular attention is focused on the role of a reader, whose task is to extract maximum of the author’s thoughts, to grasp as much information as possible, to assess the merits of the book and finally to share emotions with potential readers. We have presented and comparatively analysed the linguistic means with the help of which authors of TextReviews manipulate potential readers. The study relies on such methods as textual analysis, contextual method, interaction analysis, and quantitative method. The results of this research show that audience-oriented type of texts is the most common. Spatio-temporal constraints of impact of TextReviews make their authors create a text in which elements of different levels of language, together with non-verbal components, are to convince the potential readers of the need to commit the actions programmed by the author of the TextReview, i.e. purchase of a book. The paper stipulates that TextReview becomes one of the main strategies of a new approach to the book publishing and book distribution nowadays.

Revisiting the contact hypothesis: Effects of different modes of computer-mediated communication on intergroup relationships

This study applies the contact hypothesis to computer-mediated communication (CMC) and examines whether intergroup computer-mediated contact can facilitate relationships between conflicting groups. The effectiveness of different CMC modes, text-based and video-based, in improving interpersonal and intergroup attitudes was compared. The results from an experiment indicated that video-based CMC exerted greater influence in improving participants’ attitudes towards a targeted outgroup member when compared to text-based CMC. However, text-based CMC produced a stronger effect than video-based CMC in improving one’s attitudes towards the outgroup as a whole.

Sender credibility and deception detection

Recent research has demonstrated that the most important determinant of deception detection success was the perceived credibility of the sender. If so, then what accounts for differences in perceived sender credibility, especially when communication is conducted solely via computer-mediated communication modes where sender and receiver cannot see each other? We investigated the relationships between credibility, its antecedents, deception detection success, and the generation of false alarms. We conducted an experiment involving 74 pairs of undergraduate students. We found that the perceived credibility of the sender significantly affected both detection success and false alarms, such that the less credible the sender, the better the detection and the more false alarms generated. We also found significant relationships between three of the four antecedents and credibility: participants who were trained to detect cues to deception, who were motivated to find deception, and who communicated via e-mail were more likely to perceive senders as not credible, compared to participants who were not trained, not motivated, and who communicated via VOIP. Our findings have implications for both research and practice.

THE IMPACT OF COGNITIVE COMPLEXITY ON FEEDBACK EFFICACY DURING ONLINE VERSUS FACE-TO-FACE INTERACTIVE TASKS

Informed by the cognition hypothesis (Robinson, 2011), recent studies indicate that more cognitively complex tasks can result in better incorporation of feedback during interaction and, as a consequence, more learning. It is not known, however, how task complexity and feedback work together in computerized environments. The present study addressed this gap by investigating how cognitive complexity in face-to-face (FTF) versus computer-mediated communication (CMC) environments mediates the efficacy of recasts in promoting second language development. Eighty-four adult learners of Spanish as a foreign language at a mid-Atlantic university were randomly assigned to a control group or one of four experimental groups. The experimental groups engaged in one-on-one interaction and received recasts on the Spanish past subjunctive but differed according to (a) whether or not they had to reflect on another person’s intentional reasons during the task and (b) whether they interacted in FTF or CMC environments. Learning was measured with two production tasks and a multiple-choice receptive test in a Pretest-Posttest 1-Posttest 2 design. Results revealed that in the FTF mode, performing the cognitively complex task while receiving recasts led to the most learning. In the CMC mode, the cognitively complex task + recasts was not effective. Instead, the cognitively simple task led to the most development in CMC. The study also found that judgments of time on task were the only independent measure of cognitive complexity that held across mode.

Discourse Functions and Vocabulary Use in English Language Learners' Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication.

This study explores the discourse generated by English as a foreign language (EFL) learners using synchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC) as an approach to help English language learners to create social interaction in the classroom. It investigates the impact of synchronous CMC mode on the quantity of total words, lexical range and discourse functions of EFL learners’ writing from different genders (males vs. females). Thirty-two intermediate EFL students discussed four topics in four CMC sessions. The findings reveal that gender plays a major role in shaping the quantity of discourse (total words), lexical range (variety), and linguistic output (i.e., the quantity and type of discourse functions) the participants’ generated using synchronous CMC mode. Generally, the female participants produced more words, complex lexical range and output discourse functions than males in CMC setting. In addition, the study showed that the participants produced discourse functions shaped by the particularities of local social arrangements. Users found opportunities in the virtual world of CMC which enable them to blind their identities, so people in subordinate conditions such as females in certain conservative societies, EFL learners, and shy students may find CMC useful for fostering their communicative competence.

Foreign Language Productivity in Synchronous Versus Asynchronous Computer-mediated Communication

This study investigates language productivity in a foreign language learner output obtained via two different modes of computer-mediated communication (CMC): asynchronous (email dialog journals) and synchronous (chatroom sessions). The research questions to be answered in the study were: (a) Which form of CMC, synchronous (chatroom activities) or asynchronous (email), would be more effective in increasing language productivity in foreign language learning? And (b) Which form of CMC would participants prefer? A within-subject design was used in the study with 24 participants who were studying first semester Spanish with one instructor. Participants emailed a dialog journal in Spanish to their instructor every Tuesday during the semester and they also attended the chatroom every Thursday to chat with their instructor and with each other in Spanish. Students met in the conventional classroom three times a week and via CMC on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The researcher tallied how many new vocabulary words participants produced in the email journals as opposed to new vocabulary words produced in chatroom sessions. (The researcher counted only those words that did not appear in the textbook or had been taught in class.) Results showed that there were no significant differences between the two CMC modes. However, a higher number of words were produced in the chatroom discussions than in the email messages. Fifty percent of the students preferred electronic mail and the other 50% were more inclined towards chatroom sessions. The author concluded that both techniques had benefits for vocabulary enrichment and productivity and that both tools enhanced the language acquisition process.

Effects of synchronous and asynchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC) oral conversations on English language learners' discourse functions

This study aimed to explore the effects of synchronous and asynchronous computer mediated communication (CMC) oral discussions on question types and strategies used by English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. The participants were randomly assigned to two treatment conditions/groups; the first group used synchronous CMC, while the second utilized asynchronous CMC. Students were asked to make six conversation sessions using CMC modes over six weeks. Students' conversations were transcribed and then analyzed per each discourse feature (question types and strategies) along with the CMC mode (synchronous and asynchronous). The findings of the study showed that students who used the asynchronous CMC mode produced significantly more discourse functions related to question types and strategies than students in the other treatment condition (synchronous group). It was also found that the asynchronous CMC mode encouraged learners to ask a series of questions which need long answers and seek more details through examples, clarification, and extension, while the synchronous CMC mode supports question types and strategies which are based on short answers that are clear and unambiguous. Highlights? Asynchronous CMC produced significantly more question types than synchronous CMC. ? Asynchronous CMC produced more question strategies than synchronous CMC. ? Asynchronous CMC supports questions with long answers. ? Asynchronous CMC promotes questions seeking more details. ? Synchronous CMC supports question which are based on short answers.

Task - based O ral C omputer - mediated C ommunic a tion and L2 V ocabulary A cquisition

The present study adds to the computer-mediated communication (CMC) literature by exploring oral learner-to-learner interaction using Skype, a free and widely used Internet software program. In particular, this task-based study has a two-fold goal. Firstly, it explores possible differences between two modes of oral CMC (audio and video) and traditional face-to-face (FTF) interaction in terms of L2 vocabulary development. This study also investigates participants’ perceptions regarding these computer-mediated modes of communication. A within groups experimental design was employed in which a total of fifty-eight third semester college students of Spanish participated. Twenty-nine conversational dyads were assigned to one of three different groups: face-to-face, video CMC, and audio CMC. Repeated measures ANOVA analyses were conducted on the scores of the final pool of participants (N=47) in production, recognition, and aural comprehension tests to investigate possible differences. Furthermore, descriptive analyses were carried out of participants’ answers to a debriefing questionnaire that tapped into their perceptions toward these CMC modes. Results showed no significant differences among the groups for production or written recognition measures. All participants, however, were able to retain their recognition ability (but not their production ability) after two weeks. Finally, a significant difference was found among the groups in aural comprehension measures: the audio CMC group outperformed both other groups. Regarding participants’ attitudes toward the CMC modes used in this study, they had generally positive attitudes, which may be exploited in the L2 classroom.

The Cyber Factor: An Analysis of Relational Maintenance Through the Use of Computer-Mediated Communication

This study extends prior research on interpersonal communication and computer-mediated communication (CMC) to examine relational maintenance behaviors via multiple modes of CMC. As relationships are cultivated via mediated channels, this study explores whether men and women utilize maintenance strategies in differential relationships. Participants (N = 157) responded to a 40-item survey using an adaptation of Stafford and Canary's (1991) relational maintenance typology. Results suggest that, although use of maintenance behaviors has remained consistent with the advent of new technology, specific modes are utilized for different strategies. In addition, openness and assurances are utilized more by spouses and significant/romantic others, and women use more strategies to maintain their relationships through CMC than men, regardless of the type of relationship maintained.

Comparing learners’ state anxiety during task-based interaction in computer-mediated and face-to-face communication

The construct of anxiety is often believed to be the affective factor with the greatest potential to pervasively affect the learning process (Horwitz, 2001), and recent research has demonstrated that anxiety can mediate whether learners are able to notice feedback and subsequently produce output (Sheen, 2008). In order to reduce the negative effects of anxiety, researchers have suggested that computer-based interaction may be an ideal medium for communication and practice (Kern, 1995), although this hypothesis has yet to be tested empirically. The current study addresses this gap by comparing the effect of computer-mediated communication (CMC) vs. face-to-face communication (FTF) on learners’ state anxiety. Twenty-five learners of intermediate Spanish completed two information-gap tasks with their teacher in a within-subject, counterbalanced design. Learners’ state anxiety was measured halfway through and following each task via a state anxiety questionnaire, and a task preference questionnaire was administered after the treatment. Results demonstrate that — contrary to expectations — reported state anxiety was not significantly lower in the CMC mode than the FTF mode. In fact, learners’ reported state anxiety was comparable across modality. The use and implications of both interactional modes for foreign language learning contexts are discussed, as are students’ perceptions of interaction in the CMC and FTF modes.

Legal Issues Associated with the Study of Sexual Content on the Internet in Australia

The various legal issues that surround the study of sexual content by computer-mediated communication modes in Australia are analyzed. The various effects of the different regulations that are imposed by the government on the use of the internet in the country are also discussed.

Impact of Task Types and CMC Technology on Exchange Quality: An Empirical Investigation

While globally, computer-mediated communication (CMC) has emerged as a powerful and a more satisfying medium to facilitate organizational communication, its increased use, particularly in emerging economies, raises concerns relating to its efficacy particularly when compared to the more ‘natural’ face-to-face communication. This paper examines the impact of CMC on the quality of organizational communication at the workplace. Analysing economic and relational dimensions of task performance, the paper investigates whether CMC enhances or debases the quality of interaction (exchange quality). Measured in terms of perceived satisfaction on economic and relational dimensions of task performance, the quality of exchange is examined with respect to three type of tasks — information generation, information sharing, and decision-making. The five independent variables under study are: frequency of media use, media familiarity, media choice (to facilitate task/social interaction), quality of information sharing, and the strength of relational tie among the team members. These five variables are examined with respect to two configurations —e-mail and instant messaging (IM). The dependent variable is the quality of the interaction (exchange quality). The results show that: the frequency of e-mail communication is a significant factor in facilitating effective communication. Frequent e-mail communication leads to media familiarity. Familiarity with CMC positively impacts satisfaction on task dimensions and results in improved communication. Satisfaction scores vary on the basis of the mode of communication. Users used e-mail as a rich medium to exchange task-related information, for analytical and judgmental tasks and as a lean medium for building relationships (especially at the brainstorming or information generation stage). In comparison to e-mail, IM is not as effective both on economic as well as relational dimensions of task performance. Though a synchronous medium with a higher perceived social presence than the e-mail, it rated low on familiarity and information sharing aspects. The strength of the relational ties shared by the group had a positive impact on the quality of social interaction. A large majority of the respondents opted for the FtF mode for information gathering task and the CMC mode for information exchange and decision-making tasks.