CH. 4 -- RELATING ONLINE

 

Discussion Questions

  • How personal are the relationships you form online?
  • Can you develop a real relationship online?
  • Why do people go online to strike up relationships?
  • What are the advantages and disadvantages of online relationships?
  • Is it fair to judge the standards for relating in face-to-face relationships with those in mediated relationships?

 

Go over upcoming assignments
- Explain the webpage analysis project
- Explain the course project

 

Three Perspectives on Online Relational Development

I. CMC is impersonal

  A. Social Presence Theory
  B. Social Context Cues Theory
  C. Problems with the Impersonal Perspective


II. CMC allows for interpersonal communication

  A. Social Identification/Deindividuation Model (SIDE)
  B. Frequency of the Phenomenon (Parks & Floyd, 1996)

 

III. CMC allows for hyperpersonal communication (Walther)

  A. Sender Processes
  B. Receiver Processes
  C. Channel Processes
  D. Feedback Processes