Showing papers in "Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication in 2019"

Digital Communication Media Use and Psychological Well-Being: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract: The puzzle of whether digital media are improving or harming psychological well-being has been plaguing researchers and the public for decades. Derived from media richness theory, this study proposed that phone calls and texting improve well-being, while use of social network sites (SNSs), instant messaging (IM), and online gaming may displace other social contacts and, thereby, impair well-being. To test this hypothesis, a meta-analysis of 124 studies was conducted. The results showed that phone calls and texting were positively correlated with well-being, whereas online gaming was negatively associated with well-being. Furthermore, the relationship between digital media use and well-being was also contingent upon the way the technology was used. A series of meta-analyses of different types of SNS use and well-being was used to elucidate this point: interaction, self-presentation, and entertainment on SNSs were associated with better well-being, whereas consuming SNSs’ content was associated with poorer well-being.

Social Media and Change in Psychological Distress Over Time: The Role of Social Causation

Abstract: This article tests the relationship between information and communication technologies (ICT), such as the Internet, cell phones, and social media, and change over time in psychological distress (PD) and risk of serious psychological distress (SPD) associated with depression and anxiety disorders. Using a longitudinal panel design, survey data from a representative sample of American adults, findings revealed that home Internet and social network site (SNS) use are associated with decreased PD over time. Having extended family who are also Internet users further decreases PD. PD increased or decreased in relation to change in the PD of extended family who also use SNSs. For most people, ICT substantively reduce PD; in rare cases, an extreme spike in PD of extended family also on SNSs, there was a trivial increase to the risk of SPD. PD did not change when extended family not on social media experienced a change in their PD.

Permanently on Call: The Effects of Social Pressure on Smartphone Users' Self-Control, Need Satisfaction, and Well-Being

Abstract: While many smartphone users experience social pressure to be available, only some perceive this as a burden. It was hypothesized that this form of social pressure is especially detrimental when it reduces self-control and hinders need satisfaction. Study 1 experimentally tested whether the fulfillment of intrinsic needs (i.e., autonomy, competence, and relatedness) in mobile communication mediates these associations. Results show that social pressure negatively affected autonomy and competence, but did not influence relatedness. Repeated-measures data from Study 2 suggest that social pressure leads to self-control failure, which is associated with reduced competence. This research is the first to develop and test a theoretical model of the effects of social pressure to be available on self-control, need satisfaction, and individuals' well-being.

Whose Lives Matter? Mass Shootings and Social Media Discourses of Sympathy and Policy, 2012–2014

Abstract: We collected the event data from three distinct sources. The MSA is collected based on online news media sources. The GVA database is based on a combination of online news sources, police media outlets, and police blotters. The USA Today database is based on the Supplementary Homicide Reports (SHR) from the FBI. While no individual event dataset claims to be exhaustive, they represent three diverse levels of source selection (news media, local police reports, and FBIreported data) and each have their own form of source validation.

Flagging Facebook Falsehoods: Self-Identified Humor Warnings Outperform Fact Checker and Peer Warnings

Abstract: We present two studies evaluating the effectiveness of flagging inaccurate political posts on social media. In Study 1, we tested fact-checker flags, peer-generated flags, and a flag indicating that the publisher self-identified as a source of humor. We predicted that all would be effective, that their effectiveness would depend on prior beliefs, and that the self-identified humor flag would work best. Conducting a 2-wave online experiment (N = 218), we found that self-identified humor flags were most effective, reducing beliefs and sharing intentions, especially among those predisposed to believe the post. We found no evidence that warnings from fact checkers or peers were beneficial. Compared to the alternatives, participants exposed to self-identified humor flags exhibited less reactance to and had more positive appraisals of the flagging system. The second study (N = 610) replicated the findings of the first and provides a preliminary test of what makes this flag work.

Facebook and face-to-face : Examining the short-and long-term reciprocal effects of interactions, perceived social support, and depression among international students

Abstract: We investigated the proposition that among international students, face-to-face (FtF) interaction with the host-country network, and Facebook interaction with the host-and the home-country networks predict perceived social support, which, in turn, predicts psychological adjustment. We tested the model using cross-lagged and non-lagged reciprocal effects path analyses on three-wave panel data gathered via online surveys. The results indicated that whereas FtF interaction with the host-country increased perceived social support in the short-term, Facebook interaction with the host-country lowered perceived social support in the long-term. Perceived social support increased Facebook interaction with the host-country both in the short-and the long-term. At the same time, perceived social support, in the long-term, decreased depressive symptoms. In the short-term, perceived social support and depressive symptoms negatively reinforced each other. Our longitudinal study contributes to existing literature by elucidating the complex interplay of communication channels and their implications on international students’ experiences.

For whom the gamer trolls: A study of trolling interactions in the online gaming context

Abstract: Original, unedited trolling case reports used in hybrid traditional/computational machine learning paper accepted for publication by JCMC in June 2019.

Other-Attentiveness in Video Consultation Openings: A Conversation Analysis of Video-Mediated Versus Face-to-Face Consultations

Abstract: For patients recovering from surgery, a video consultation is a suitable alternative to conventional consultations. Video consultations have been found to be beneficial, but little is known about their organization, compared to face-to-face consultations. In this article, we explore potential extra interactional work conducted by participants in video-mediated consultations. We focus on the beginning of the consultation. Our data consist of 39 recorded, postoperative, oncological consultations, both face-to-face and through video-mediated communication (VMC), which we analyzed using conversation analysis. Although surgeons commonly launched the beginning with an announcement of the pathology report as the reason for the consultation, we found that in VMC, “how are you?” was regularly inserted after the testing of the technology. The question is a suitable strategy, as it displays overt other-attentiveness, while also being medically relevant. However, subsequently, surgeons may unilaterally close the elicited self-report to then address the pathology report. Thus, the “extra interactional work” of other-attentiveness is again attenuated.

Ethnic Minorities’ Social Media Political Use: How Ingroup Identification, Selective Exposure, and Collective Efficacy Shape Social Media Political Expression

Abstract: Latinos represent a large ethnic minority group in the United States, but their political participation, including on social media, is low compared to other groups. Guided by social identity and social cognitive theories, this study examines the influence of two dimensions of ingroup identification (i.e., group self-definition, group self-investment) on Latinos(as)’ political expression about immigration and Latino culture on social media, the mediating role of pro-attitudinal selective exposure to media content related to these topics, and the moderating role of collective efficacy. Results suggest a positive and consistent association between group self-definition and social media political expression (SMPE) about both topics. Further, pro-attitudinal selective exposure was found to mediate the relationship between group self-definition and expression about both topics. Finally, collective efficacy moderated the relationship between group self-definition and SMPE about immigration.

“It’s My Duty to Be Like ‘This Is Wrong’”: Youth Political Social Media Practices in the Trump Era”

Abstract: This study used focus groups to explore emergent patterns of youth political social media practices in the Trump era. The participants (U.S. undergraduates aged 18 to 26) suggested that Trump’s election was a transformative moment in their lives and that they had shifted their approaches to political social media in response. Many articulated an increased sense of duty and responsibility to use social media to counter perceived problems—such as Trump’s ideological extremism and misinformation—online, suggesting the adaption of certain “dutiful citizenship” norms to an “actualizing” mode of political engagement that prioritizes digital self-expression. Simultaneously, Trump’s embrace of social media to communicate directly with publics also corresponds with youth “speaking back” as a more exploratory mode of engagement to define political identity. Together, the data highlight the ongoing development of hybrid youth citizenship styles in response to institutional shifts in tactical social media use and growing hyper-partisanship.

The Influence of Self-Generated and Third-Party Claims Online: Perceived Self-Interest as an Explanatory Mechanism

Abstract: Over the past two decades, communication technology scholars have examined how viewers evaluate the authenticity of information online, with particular attention given to how self versus third-party claims differ in their degree of influence. We examine how self-interest perceptions serve an important explanatory function in the logic of warranting theory and help account for how people evaluate content online. Our results document how the source and valence of a message can interact to affect perceptions of source self-interest, which, in turn, affect perceptions of source trustworthiness, message accuracy, and, ultimately, evaluations of an online target. The findings establish boundary conditions for the warranting principle and our discussion offers insight into the production and evaluation of online claims.

Switching Schemas: Do Effects of Mindless Interactions With Agents Carry Over to Humans and Vice Versa?

Abstract: The Revised Ethopoeia Concept proposes that agents should activate human schema in the form of social expectations and rules. However, studies have demonstrated inconsistent reactions to agents and avatars, potentially due to the activation of a nonhuman schema that constrains people’s ability to mentally connect with agents. We first examined whether the schema activated during agent or avatar game play were consistent with and influenced a subsequent interaction with a human. Results suggested that schemas activated across consecutive interactions with an agent and then a human were incongruent, while avatars successfully influenced subsequent interactions with humans (i.e., prosocial behaviors) by evoking congruent schemas. A second experiment corroborated this by demonstrating a match between schemas activated during game play with agents and subsequent interactions with another human-like but nonhuman entity (i.e., artificial intelligence). Additional results and implications related to switching schemas in consecutive interactions with agents and humans are discussed.