Emotion and Interaction Control: A Motive-Based Approach to Media Choice in Socio-Emotional Communication

Tretter, Stefan; Diefenbach, Sarah

doi:10.3390/mti4030053

Cited by 3 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…They perhaps did so not because of their self-presentational upside, but out of pragmatic reasons as the easiest way to let the other know (P. J. Carlson & Davis, 1998; Tretter & Diefenbach, 2020). Although this could unintentionally buffer the positive experience, people may have overestimated their own and their friend’s ability to accurately share positive emotions this way (Riordan & Trichtinger, 2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Channel choice as a means to strategically control interaction has been the focus of several works in the past (Bülow et al, 2019; Kayany et al, 1996; Tretter & Diefenbach, 2020). However, while O’Sullivan (2000) and Feaster in particular (2010) emphasized the value of channels for active self-presentation, there is also a receiving role in communication.…”

Section: The Impression Management Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Mediated channels might buffer such inherent face-threats, as people were shown to communicate more accurately and honestly over computer-mediated channels than face-to-face situations (Sussman & Sproull, 1999). On the other hand, in the case of positive news, the communication channel may be moot (Dibble, 2018; Sussman & Sproull, 1999), people might even seek a more immediate experience (Tretter & Diefenbach, 2020). We expect this to be represented in the choice of channels with a higher buffer effect in negative episodes.…”

Section: The Impression Management Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Buffer Effect

Tretter

Diefenbach

2022

Journal of Media Psychology

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Abstract. The mediating nature of communication technologies (e.g., telephone, voice message, or chat) can buffer the experience of conversations by establishing a figurative shield between sender and receiver. From a psychological perspective, this buffer effect may affect senders’ communication channel choices depending on their respective communication goals. Building on the impression management model of strategic channel use ( O’Sullivan, 2000 ), we examine how valence and locus of a message and the interlocutors’ relationship lead to differences in the buffer effect people establish through their channel choices. In two vignette-based, mixed-design studies, participants indicated which channel they would choose to communicate with a receiver in different situations, depending on the valence of the episode (positive vs. negative; Studies 1 and 2), who is at the center of the issue (self vs. other; Studies 1 and 2), and their interpersonal closeness (friend vs. acquaintance; Study 2). In Study 1, people chose channels with a higher buffer effect for negative (vs. positive) issues and episodes that focused on themselves (vs. the receiver). Study 2 supported a moderating effect of relationship. While people still chose channels with higher buffer effects for negative (vs. positive) issues in the acquaintance condition, the opposite was true when people were to communicate with friends. We attribute this to the higher salience of relational compared to self-presentational communication goals under increasing interpersonal closeness. The present studies expand the impression management model by focusing on the subjective buffer effect of communication channels and introducing the decisive role of relationship in its application.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Impression Management Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Impression Management Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Buffer Effect

Tretter

Diefenbach

2022

Journal of Media Psychology

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“…Taken together, previous research shows that the communication channel an individual prefers is highly context-and subject-dependent [28], and media choice is a means to take control over the communication process in the desired way. Specifically, one can vary the emotional intensity and interactional speed in socio-emotional contexts via the chosen communication channel [29]. For instance, email as an a-synchronous and text-based communication medium promotes slower exchange of messages and lesser emotional cues than the telephone.…”

Section: Media As Means To An Endmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Influence of Regulatory Focus on Media Choice in Interpersonal Conflicts

Tretter

Diefenbach

2021

Psych

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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.

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“…Media richness theory predicts that communication media with more cues will be better for solving equivocal tasks [19], but matching media richness to task equivocality in CMC and video communication does not seem to improve performance [20]. Furthermore, users' choice of media richness seems to be more motivated by the expected emotional reaction than the efficiency and problem-solving focused outlook, with expected pleasant outcomes leading to choice of richer media, and expected unpleasant outcomes prompting the use of less rich media [21]. Studies comparing text and voice chatting have found that text chatting during a visual task interferes with task performance more than voice chatting [22], that liking and trust between individuals in gameplay increases with the addition of audio [23], while using text chat versus audio in language learning decreases anxiety levels [24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heart Rate Sharing at the Workplace

Wikström

Falcon

Martikainen

et al. 2021

MTI

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Augmenting online interpersonal communication with biosignals, often in the form of heart rate sharing, has shown promise in increasing affiliation, feelings of closeness, and intimacy. Increasing empathetic awareness in the professional domain and in the customer interface could benefit both customer and employee satisfaction, but heart rate sharing in this context needs to consider issues around physiological monitoring of employees, appropriate level of intimacy, as well as the productivity outlook. In this study, we explore heart rate sharing at the workplace and study its effects on task performance. Altogether, 124 participants completed a collaborative visual guidance task using a chat box with heart rate visualization. Participants’ feedback about heart rate sharing reveal themes such as a stronger sense of human contact and increased self-reflection, but also raise concerns around unnecessity, intimacy, privacy and negative interpretations. Live heart rate was always measured, but to investigate the effect of heart rate sharing on task performance, half of the customers were told that they were seeing a recording, and half were told that they were seeing the advisor’s live heart beat. We found a negative link between awareness and task performance. We also found that higher ratings of usefulness of the heart rate visualization were associated with increased feelings of closeness. These results reveal that intimacy and privacy issues are particularly important for heart rate sharing in professional contexts, that preference modulates the effects of heart rate sharing on social closeness, and that heart rate sharing may have a negative effect on performance.

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Emotion and Interaction Control: A Motive-Based Approach to Media Choice in Socio-Emotional Communication

Cited by 3 publications

References 60 publications

The Buffer Effect

The Buffer Effect

The Influence of Regulatory Focus on Media Choice in Interpersonal Conflicts

Heart Rate Sharing at the Workplace

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