Computer-mediated Context Research Articles

Recast frequency and the acquisition of English articles in a computer-mediated context

This study examines the role of recast frequency and its effectiveness in the acquisition of English articles in a computer-mediated context. Sixty-one pre-intermediate university language learners in Turkey were randomly divided into four main groups: high frequency recast (HF), low frequency recast (LF), test control, and task control groups. The learners in the HF and LF recast groups completed five and two tasks, respectively, in a video-conferencing environment and received oral recasts on their incorrect use of English articles. Learners in the test control group only took the pre and posttests, and learners in the task control group completed five tasks without receiving feedback on the target structure. The outcome was measured through online picture description and error correction tasks. Findings showed that in the picture description task, learners in the HF group performed significantly better than those in the LF recast group and the control groups. In the error correction task, the results revealed a short-term advantage for learners in the HF group, which faded away in the delayed posttest. Significant correlations were also found between the recast frequency and learners’ score improvement in the immediate and delayed picture description tasks but not in the error correction tasks. These results suggest that recast quantity may play an important role in improving learners’ accuracy of their oral production.

How do Individuals With and Without Traumatic Brain Injury Interpret Emoji? Similarities and Differences in Perceived Valence, Arousal, and Emotion Representation

Impaired facial affect recognition is common after traumatic brain injury (TBI) and linked to poor social outcomes. We explored whether perception of emotions depicted by emoji is also impaired after TBI. Fifty participants with TBI and 50 non-injured peers generated free-text labels to describe emotions depicted by emoji and rated their levels of valence and arousal on nine-point rating scales. We compared how the two groups’ valence and arousal ratings were clustered and examined agreement in the words participants used to describe emoji. Hierarchical clustering of affect ratings produced four emoji clusters in the non-injured group and three emoji clusters in the TBI group. Whereas the non-injured group had a strongly positive and a moderately positive cluster, the TBI group had a single positive valence cluster, undifferentiated by arousal. Despite differences in cluster numbers, hierarchical structures of the two groups’ emoji ratings were significantly correlated. Most emoji had high agreement in the words participants with and without TBI used to describe them. Participants with TBI perceived emoji similarly to non-injured peers, used similar words to describe emoji, and rated emoji similarly on the valence dimension. Individuals with TBI showed small differences in perceived arousal for a minority of emoji. Overall, results suggest that basic recognition processes do not explain challenges in computer-mediated communication reported by adults with TBI. Examining perception of emoji in context by people with TBI is an essential next step for advancing our understanding of functional communication in computer-mediated contexts after brain injury.

Mind the context-The relevance of personality for face-to-face and computer-mediated communication.

A large body of research has examined the link between personality and face-to-face (FtF) communication knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs). With the rise of digital media, text-based computer-mediated (CM) communication KSAOs have gained increasing attention. We conducted two studies to investigate how personality relates to KSAOs in the different contexts of FtF and CM communication. Contrasting perspectives hypothesize that the results in the FtF and CM contexts would be very similar or distinctly different. In Study 1 (n = 454), an online panel study, the Big Five personality dimensions were assessed and their relationships to FtF and CM communication KSAOs were investigated. Structural equation models and relative weight regression analyses showed that these personality dimensions, mostly extraversion and neuroticism, explained more variance in FtF as compared to CM communication KSAOs. Study 2 (n = 173), conducted in a laboratory context, showed similar results compared to Study 1. In addition, when the Big Five personality dimensions were assessed with a CM frame of reference, more variance was explained in CM than in FtF communication KSAOs. These results point to the importance of considering context effects in communication and in personality research: FtF and CM communication KSAOs need to be differentiated. If not properly contextualized, the relevance of personality and communication competencies in predicting criteria may be underestimated due to contextual mismatches.

Familiars in a Strange Land

Familiars in a Strange Land

Examining Identity Shift Effects in Virtual Reality.

Identity shift describes how individuals commit to self-presentations made in public computer-mediated contexts. This study attempts to expand identity shift effects to virtual reality. Participants were randomly assigned to present themselves as extraverted or introverted in pilot tested public or private virtual environments. The hypotheses and data analysis strategy were preregistered, and the study had sufficient a priori statistical power. The results did not support identity shift effects. Baseline extraversion predicted postmanipulation extraversion scores, thus suggesting identity stability. The discussion focuses on the empirical consistency of the identity shift effect and avenues for future research.

I don’t care about who you are, but what you are doing for me? Examining perceptions of helpful comments and identity in user-generated content

ABSTRACT User-generated content is common feature of news websites. Individuals use these features to express thoughts, opinions, and suggestions about news stories. Previous research suggests an impact of identity and helper heuristics on specific outcomes in user-generated contributions in online news commenting forums. The current research sought to extend previous research to specifically examining agency cues and information in online heuristic processing. Results suggest that being helpful in computer-mediated contexts results in several positive perceptions for the helpful agent, more so than providing ambiguous cues about the identity of the user posting the content. The findings help establish conditions under which agency affordances positively impact perceptions and have direct implications for the MAIN model.

Evolving Role of Social Media in Health Promotion: Updated Responsibilities for Health Education Specialists.

The use of social media in public health education has been increasing due to its ability to remove physical barriers that traditionally impede access to healthcare support and resources. As health promotion becomes more deeply rooted in Internet-based programming, health education specialists are tasked with becoming more competent in computer-mediated contexts that optimize both online and offline consumer health experiences. Generating a better understanding of the benefits and drawbacks to using social media in the field is important, since health education specialists continue to weigh its advantages against potential concerns and barriers to use. Accordingly, this Special Issue aims to explore social media as a translational health promotion tool by bridging principles of health education and health communication that examine (1) the method with which social media users access, negotiate, and create health information that is both actionable and impactful for diverse audiences; (2) strategies for overcoming challenges to using social media in health promotion; and (3) best practices for designing, implementing, and evaluating social media forums in public health. In this commentary, we discuss the updated communication and advocacy roles and responsibilities of health education specialists in the context of social media research and practice.

Exploring EFL learners` developmental errors in academic writing through face-to-Face and Computer-Mediated dynamic assessment

Theoretically grounded in Vygotsky`s sociocultural theory of mind, Dynamic Assessment (DA) provides researchers with the opportunity to investigate different aspects of learners` developmental trajectory, including the ways they overcome their errors. As a qualitative inquiry into the nature of errors reflecting learners` development in academic writing and the ways they are treated, this study examined the role of face-to-face (FTF) and Computer-Mediated (CM) contexts on the ways Iranian EFL learners dealt with their main developmental errors. In this study, the nature of developmental errors emerged out of the analysis of a writing corpus of four learners participating in a two-month DA based academic writing course. The learners` high-frequency errors were examined through the microgentic development method, which allows for investigating the moment to moment changes in learners` performance, to reveal the ways they were addressed in FTF and CM contexts of DA. The results highlighted the different effects of FTF and CM contexts on learners` pace, depth and permanency of development through not only employing different mediation forms but also encouraging the usage of different mediational tools. The findings indicated that while FTF mediation led to an inclination toward collaborative writing, CM mediation increased learners` engagement with their written texts by focusing more on difficult items and transferring development to other tasks and situations which, in turn, illustrates their progression towards self-regulation. The findings of the study shed light on the potentials of DA in guiding learners` struggle to overcome their academic writing developmental errors in both CM and FTF contexts.

The impact of computer-mediated contexts on interaction pattern of ESL learners in collaborative writing

ABSTRACTThis case study examined dynamic interactions of two small teams of English as Second Language students when they performed two collaborative argument writing tasks in asynchronous and synchronous web-based contexts. The two teams exhibited different interaction patterns when switching between contexts. These patterns were identified in terms of ‘equality’ and ‘mutuality’ by analysing language functions and writing change functions during the process of collaborative writing. The dynamic feature of peer interactions in different contexts was explained. Participants’ interviews and reflection papers, along with online discourse, revealed that contexts affect interactions through a set of different factors. The findings may help explain the variations of collaboration in online writing contexts, and provide insights into how the contexts should be considered in the design of web-based collaborative writing activities in L2 classes.

Emotional Awareness and Decision-Making in the Context of Computer-Mediated Psychotherapy.

Emotional awareness has been previously investigated among clinicians. In this work, we bring to the fore of research the interest to uncover emotional awareness of clinicians during the tele-mental health session. The study reported here aimed at determining whether clinicians process their own emotions, as well as those of the client, in a computer-mediated context. Also, clinicians' decision-making process was assessed because such action appears to be related to the way they feel and recognise how those emotions may change their thinking and impact their interaction with clients. We estimated that such ability in clinicians' would be contrasted when the psychotherapy-session level is conducted via various technologies. Participant of the study were presented by stimuli in different modes of delivery (e.g. text, audio, and video). The experiment indicates that the ability to manage, perceive, and utilise emotions was as being satisfactory during all modes of delivery. In essence, the findings contribute to the field of remote therapy suggesting emotional awareness as a key cognitive factor in diagnosis.

The Nature of Relationships in e-Internships: A Matter of the Psychological Contract, Communication and Relational Investment

Virtual internships (or e-internships) represent unique transitional and temporary learning experiences that have not been studied widely. Using 18 interviews conducted with interns and internship providers, the authors explored the extent to which psychological contracts appear to emerge and operate within this computer-mediated context. The results were d using thematic analysis. The findings indicate that while e-internships are temporary and hence transitional, they are not inevitably transactional. Relational and balanced contract characteristics are not necessarily uncommon in e-internships when these feature supervisory engagement and commitment to the e-internship as well as the customized use of technology to interact, monitor, and engage with interns.

With whom do you feel most intimate?: Exploring the quality of Facebook friendships in relation to similarities and interaction behaviors.

It is widely accepted that people tend to associate more and feel closer to those who share similar attributes with themselves. Most of the research on the phenomenon has been carried out in face-to-face contexts. However, it is necessary to study the phenomenon in computer-mediated contexts as well. Exploring Facebook is important in that friendships within the network indicate a broader spectrum of friends, ranging from complete strangers to confiding relations. Also, since diverse communication methods are available on Facebook, which method a user adopts to interact with a “friend” could influence the quality of the relationship, i.e. intimacy. Thus, current research aims to test whether people in computer-mediated contexts do perceive more intimacy toward friends who share similar traits, and further, aims to examine which interaction methods influence the closeness of relationship by collecting activity data of users on Facebook. Results from current study show traits related to intimacy in the online context of Facebook. Moreover, in addition to the interaction type itself, direction of the interaction influenced how intimate users feel towards their friends. Overall findings suggest that further investigation on the dynamics of online communication methods used in developing and maintaining relationships is necessary.

EFL Conversational Interaction In A Computer Mediated Context : The Algerian Experience

EFL Conversational Interaction In A Computer Mediated Context : The Algerian Experience

The effects of social presence, contextual congruence and source credibility in evaluation of online advertising on news websites

This study investigates how advertising on news websites is affected by social presence, contextual congruence and source credibility. It employs a 2 (social presence vs. no social presence) × 2 (contextual congruence vs. no contextual congruence) × 2 (high website credibility vs. low website credibility) between-subject factorial experimental design. Participating in this study are a total of 328 students from a university in the upper Midwest. Findings suggest that social presence positively influences how consumers evaluate advertising and brand. Contextual congruence also positively influences consumers' advertising and brand evaluations. Source credibility, however, positively influences only advertising evaluation (not brand evaluation). This study broadens our understanding of the roles of social presence, contextual congruence, and media vehicle effects in a computer-mediated communication context.

Social media at work: The roles of job satisfaction, employment status, and Facebook use with co-workers

Limited research has studied workplace satisfaction in a computer-mediated context, particularly with the use of social media. Based on an analysis of an online survey of working adults (N = 512) in various companies and organizations in a metropolitan area in Southern California, we tested the relationships among time spent on Facebook interacting with co-workers, employment status, and job satisfaction. Results show that an employee's satisfaction at work is positively associated with the amount of time they spend on Facebook interacting with co-workers. Contrary to our initial predictions, results to the second and third hypotheses revealed that part time employees reported having spent the highest amount of time on Facebook with their co-workers, and contract employees reported the highest degree of job satisfaction at work. Results have implications for Facebook as a strategic platform for promoting employee satisfaction at work, and Facebook a social network/ing platform for part time employees seeking further social integration and professional connection.

Religious Pluralistic Language in a Computer-Mediated Context: Effects of Intergroup Salience and Religious Orientation

This study investigated the degree to which religious pluralistic language varies as a function of the intergroup salience of a context and religious orientation. Based on a 2 (Religious Salience of Context) × 3 (Religious Salience of Topic) experimental design, participants (N = 239) were instructed to compose an e-mail to an interactional partner based on the randomly assigned condition. Messages were coded for religious pluralistic language, and participants completed measures of religious orientation and evaluations of the conversational partner. Modest effects were found for both intergroup salience of the context and topic as well as religious orientation.

Investigating Dynamic Writing Assessment in a Web 2.0 Asynchronous Collaborative Computer-Mediated Context

Investigating Dynamic Writing Assessment in a Web 2.0 Asynchronous Collaborative Computer-Mediated Context

The Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics Required for Face-to-Face Versus Computer-Mediated Communication: Similar or Distinct Constructs?

This study investigated the convergence of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) required for either face-to-face (FtF) or text-based computer-mediated (CM) communication, the latter being frequently mentioned as core twenty-first century competencies. In a pilot study (n = 150, paired self- and peer reports), data were analyzed to develop a measurement model for the constructs of interest. In the main study, FtF and CM communication KSAOs were assessed via an online panel (n = 450, paired self- and peer reports). Correlated-trait-correlated-method minus one models were used to examine the convergence of FtF and CM communication KSAOs at the latent variable level. Finally, we applied structural equation modeling to examine the influence of communication KSAOs on communication outcomes within (e.g., CM KSAOs on CM outcomes) and across contexts (e.g., CM KSAOs on FtF outcomes). Self-reported communication KSAOs showed only low to moderate convergence between FtF and CM contexts. Convergence was somewhat higher in peer reports, but still suggested that the contextualized KSAOs are separable. Communication KSAOs contributed significantly to communication outcomes; context-incongruent KSAOs explained less variance in outcomes than context-congruent KSAOs. The results imply that FtF and CM communication KSAOs are distinct, thus speaking to the consideration of CM KSAOs as twenty-first century competencies and not just a derivative of FtF communication competencies. This study is the first to examine the convergence of context-specific communication KSAOs within a correlated-trait-correlated-method minus one framework using self- and peer reports.

A Computer-Mediated Escape from the Closet: Exploring Identity, Community, and Disinhibited Discussion on an Internet Coming Out Advice Forum

Research suggests that gay men and lesbians, as a product of being raised by heterosexuals in a heterosexist culture, are often shielded from information to help them cope with their stigmatized identity in their early years. Unsurprisingly, this community of individuals has been found to use the Internet more heavily than their heterosexual counterparts. This study examined an advice sub-forum on a popular set of forums designated for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) people negotiating the coming out process. Employing online disinhibition as a framework, and drawing from an identity management standpoint, a thematic analysis uncovered seven unique ways that LGBTQ people create community and craft identities in a computer-mediated context.

What Do We Fear? Expected Sanctions for Expressing Minority Opinions in Offline and Online Communication

This work proposes the expectation of sanctions as a promising construct to advance spiral of silence research in face-to-face and computer-mediated contexts. We argue that situational factors influence people’s expectations about how their social environment would punish them should they express their viewpoint in a hostile opinion climate. These expected sanctions are suggested to explain the variance in people’s willingness to express a minority opinion across different social situations. An experiment showed that the expectation of being personally attacked can explain why people are more willing to voice a deviant opinion in offline rather than online environments. Findings also revealed that in contemporary social networking websites, wherein users commonly face a personally relevant audience, people are prone to hold back their opinion as they expect losing control over the reactions of their audience. This research extends previous knowledge by presenting a more differentiated theoretical view of the fear of isolation and specifying its role in different situations of public deliberation.