Interactivity, Social Presence, and Journalistic Use of Twitter

This study explored the extent of journalists’ use of Twitter in terms of interactivity and social cue using a content analysis of journalists’ Twitter profiles (N = 555). Journalists with more personal and professional details on Twitter profiles were more likely to be highly interactive, a relationship that predicts higher perceptions of credibility based on past research. Results suggest the need for journalists to utilize interactivity more for increasing their impact on Twitter

Does Technology Thwart Gender Stereotypes? An Impression Formation-Based Examination of the Differential Influence of Technology across Gender and Messages

This research examines the relationship between gender, message sentiment, and technology use on the way that observers form impressions of others. Building on impression formation and gender stereotype research and theory, we develop a two-study research methodology for examining how impressions of technology users are formed. The results of our two studies indicate that technology use is an important component in impression formation, significantly inhibiting the effects of gender stereotyping, such that women and men are not evaluated differently based on their apparent competency in using technology nor on the content of their messaging. Our findings indicate that the use of technology subverts both the male and female stereotypes that observers normally engage

How Do Frequency and Duration of Messaging Affect Impression Development in Computer-Mediated Communication?

Computer-mediated Communication (CMC) has been commonly compared to face-to-face (FtF) communication in recent CMC literature. Research comparisons suggested depersonalizing effects of CMC. However, this experimental study indicates that CMC is a potentially viable mode of social-emotion-oriented communication. In this study, the effects of frequency and duration of messaging on impression development in CMC were investigated. Undergraduate participants were randomly assigned to each of the four experimental groups. For a period of two weeks, participants monitored discussion lists that differed in relation to the frequency and duration of messaging in asynchronous CMC environments. ANOVA results indicated that duration and frequency had significant main effects on impression development in asynchronous CMC environments. No interaction effects were found. The results of this study not only theoretically support the social-emotion-oriented model in CMC, but also lay foundations for further research in many popular types of interactive CMC environments, including e-learning, e-commerce, and e-health

Emotions in online negotiations

Eine Vielzahl von Studien hat die allgegenwärtige Rolle von Emotionen, bei der Gestaltung der menschlichen Kognition, Verhalten (Forgas, 1998; Kelly & Barsade, 2001; Keltner & Buswell, 1997; Parkinson, 1996; Thompson, 1990), und ebenso Prozesse wie Entscheidungsfindung und Verhandlung (Allred et al., 1997; Kopelman et al., 2006; Kumar, 1997; Morris & Keltner, 2000) anerkannt. Einige weitgehend abgestützte Erkenntnisse beinhalten den Einfluss von Emotionen auf die Überzeugungen und Präferenzen des Verhandlungsführers (Barry & Fulmer, 2004; Obeidi et al., 2005), die Informationenverarbeitung (Allred et al., 1997; Hegtvedt & Killian, 1999; Daniel Shapiro, 2002), seine Urteile (Forgas, 1998; Lupton et al., 2002), innovatives Denken und Kreativität bei Problemlösungen (Barry & Oliver, 1996; Carnevale & Isen, 1986; Forgas, 1998). Zudem sind Emotionen eine konstante Quelle wertvoller Informationen über die Überzeugungen, Vorlieben und Absichten des Absenders (Barry, 2007; Druckman & Olekalns, 2007; Hegtvedt & Killian, 1999; Morris & Keltner, 2000; Pillutla & Murnighan, 1996; Scherer, 1986). Die zunehmende Bedeutung und Allgegenwärtigkeit der Informationstechnologie verursachte einen noch größeren Verlass der Menschen auf computervermittelte Kommunikation. Dies ist der Grund weshalb elektronische Verhandlungen ein zunehmend regelmäßiges Thema in wissenschaftlicher Forschungsliteratur geworden sind. Bezüglich dieser Entwicklung, sind wir in der Art und Weise interessiert, wie Emotionen in einer Online-Umgebung vermittelt und ausgedrückt werden. Die zugrunde liegende Motivation dieser Studie bezieht sich konkret auf die ungenügend erforschten Wirkungen des Decision Support Systems (DSS) und des Negotiation Support Systems (NSS) auf die emotionalen Muster, die sich während einer online Verhandlung entwickeln. Wir benutzen die Technik der multidimensionalen Skalierung um zwei emotionale Dimensionen (pleasure/displeasure und alert/calm) in Textnachrichten zu unterscheiden und zu kennzeichnen, die während eines online Verhandlungsexperimentes ausgetauscht wurden. Dies hat uns ermöglicht, bestimmte Emotionen mit den Mustern, die in der Verhandlung aufgetreten sind, und mit den Ergebnissen die ihnen folgten zu verbinden. Das Ziel der vorliegenden Studie war es, bestimmte emotionale Dynamik, die für erfolgreiche und gescheiterte Verhandlungen mit und ohne DSS charakteristisch sind aufzudecken, und aufgrund unserer Erkenntnisse, Vorschläge bezüglich der zeitlichen Planung der Nutzung eines Verhandlungsassistenten (Negotiator Assistant) zu machen.A wide variety of studies has acknowledged the ubiquitous role of emotions in shaping human cognition, behavior (Forgas, 1998; Kelly & Barsade, 2001; Keltner & Buswell, 1997; Parkinson, 1996; Thompson, 1990), as well as processes such as decision making and negotiation (Allred, Mallozzi, Matsui, & Raia, 1997; Kopelman, Rosette, & Thompson, 2006; Kumar, 1997; Morris & Keltner, 2000). Some broadly supported findings include the effect of emotions on negotiators’ beliefs and preferences (Barry & Fulmer, 2004; Obeidi, Hipel, & Kilgour, 2005), information-processing (Allred et al., 1997; Hegtvedt & Killian, 1999; Shapiro, 2002), judgements (Forgas, 1998; Lupton, Hine, & Murphy, 2002), innovative thinking and creativity in solving problems (Barry & Oliver, 1996; Carnevale & Isen, 1986; Forgas, 1998). Moreover, emotions are a constant source of valuable information on the sender’s beliefs, preferences and intentions (Barry, 2007; Druckman & Olekalns, 2007; Hegtvedt & Killian, 1999; Morris & Keltner, 2000; Pillutla & Murnighan, 1996; Scherer, 1986). These implications of emotions have to be researched more extensively within online communication, because the increasing importance and omnipresence of information technology in everyday life is causing an even greater reliance of people on computer-based communication, which is not devoid of emotional content. This is why electronic negotiations have become an increasingly frequent topic in the scientific research literature. With regard to this development, we are interested in the way emotions are conveyed and expressed in an online setting. Specifically, the underlying motivation of this study refers to the insufficiently explored effects of a decision support system (DSS) and a negotiation support system (NSS) on the emotional patterns that evolve within an online negotiation encounter. Keeping in consideration the seminal studies on Phase Model Theory (Douglas, 1962; Holmes, 1992), and in line with the emotional stage models proposed by Kumar (1997) and Morris & Keltner (2000), we acknowledge that online negotiations also go through a series of emotionally different phases. We thus aim to uncover specific emotional dynamics that are characteristic for successful and failed negotiations with and without DSS. In addition, we make suggestions regarding the timing of use of a Negotiator Assistant

Emotions in online negotiations

Elektronische Verhandlungen erlangen durch die fortschreitende Digitalisierung immer mehr an Bedeutung. Ein positiver Verhandlungsverlauf und ein daraus resultierender Verhandlungserfolg aber, kann durch eine entsprechende Behandlung und Betrachtung von Emotionen beeinflusst und gesteuert werden, da diese einen determinierenden Einflussfaktor in Bezug auf menschliches, soziales Verhalten darstellen (Thompson 1990; Miller and Leary 1992; Izard 1993; Parkinson 1996; Keltner and Buswell 1997; Forgas and George 2001; Kelly and Barsade 2001). Forschung in diesem Gebiet aber, betrachtet Emotionen hauptsächlich as statische Antezendenz- oder Ergebnis-variable, und vernachlässigt den dynamischen Charakter sowie den kontinuierlichen Einfluss von Emotionen auf den gesamten Verhandlungsprozess (Homans 1974; Carnevale and Isen 1986; Frijda 1986; Sutton and Rafaeli 1988; Berkowitz 1989; Kumar 1997). Um den neuen kontextuellen Herausforderungen von elektronischen Verhandlungen zu begegnen, ist es unerlässlich, ein detaillierteres Bild dieses komplexen Verhandlungsprozesses zu erarbeiten. Dies kann bewerkstelligt werden indem man einzelne, spezifische Verhandlungsphasen identifiziert, die zusammen eine komplette Verhandlung definieren. Mit Hilfe von „Phase Model Theory“ (Douglas 1962; Gulliver 1979; Holmes 1992) sind wir in der Lage Verhandlungsphasen mit spezifischem emotionalen Verhalten in Verbindung zu bringen. Weiters helfen uns die Utility Funktionen der einzelnen Verhandlungspartner, die erhaltenen Erkenntnisse über den prozessualen Verlauf von Verhandlungen zu konkretisieren. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurden mittels Multi-Dimensionaler Skalierung drei Dimensionen (pleasure vs. displeasure, solidarity vs. conflict, and other- vs. self-oriented behavior) identifiziert, welche es uns ermöglichen, eindeutig ausgeprägte Verhandlungsprozesse zu identifizieren. Dadurch sind wir in der Lage, Verhandlungserfolg von Verhandlungsmisserfolg, anhand von spezifischen Kombinationen emotionaler Charakteristika, zu unterscheiden. Gescheiterte sowie erfolgreiche Verhandlungen sind beiderseits durch einen anfänglichen Abfall positiver Emotionen definiert. Für erfolgreiche Verhandlungen, lässt sich jedoch ein anfänglicher, simultaner Anstieg solidarischen Verhaltens feststellen, im Gegensatz zu gescheiterten Verhandlungen. Die finale Phase erfolgreicher Verhandlungen, ist letztlich wieder durch einen Anstieg positiver Emotionen definiert. Wir haben diesen emotionalen Verlauf, der erfolgreiche von gescheiterten Verhandlungen eindeutig differenziert, als „emotionales Tal“ (emotional valley) bezeichnet.Electronic negotiations are becoming increasingly important in today’s digitalized world. Negotiation success can be managed by properly dealing with emotions, as they possess an influential character on human, social behavior (Thompson 1990; Miller and Leary 1992; Izard 1993; Parkinson 1996; Keltner and Buswell 1997; Forgas and George 2001; Kelly and Barsade 2001). Research in this field, however, mainly considers emotions as static antecedence, or outcome variables, disregarding their dynamic character and continuous influence on the whole negotiation process (Homans 1974; Carnevale and Isen 1986; Frijda 1986; Sutton and Rafaeli 1988; Berkowitz 1989; Kumar 1997). In order to meet the challenges predisposed by the context of electronic negotiations, a more detailed understanding about the negotiation process itself is unavoidable. Therefore we need to identify the distinct negotiation phases, which altogether define a whole negotiation. In line with Phase Model Theory (Douglas 1962; Gulliver 1979; Holmes 1992) we are able to relate negotiation phases to specific emotional behavior. Furthermore, negotiators’ utility functions are used to refine the insights about the procedural character of negotiations. In the present work, we used multi-dimensional scaling to identify three dimensions (pleasure vs. displeasure, solidarity vs. conflict, and other- vs. self-oriented behavior), which further allow us to define distinct negotiation processes. By doing so, we are able to relate negotiation success and failure, to specific combinations of emotional characteristics. Both, successful and failed negotiations are characterized by an initial decrease of emotional positive expressions. For successful negotiations, we however observe a simultaneous increase of solidarity, as contrasted by failed negotiations. Ultimately, negotiations in which an agreement was reached are characterized by a final increase of positive emotions. We denominated this emotional pattern inherent to successful negotiations “emotional valley”

A three-part intersection of psychology and information systems

Classically, management information systems has been seen as the intersection of two factions within the firm: the technology workers and management. Those in management information systems were tasked with providing a means of communication between these distant groups that would enable synergy within the organization. To do this, management information systems professionals have a need to understand behavioral aspects of individual psychology. This research examines the intersection of information systems and three areas of psychology: personality, counseling, and social. Three separate papers examine a specific research question within each of these separate areas. The first paper investigates the influence of personality and cognitive style on the preference for individuals to work in virtual teams. The second paper explores the drivers of interest and intention to major in information systems. Finally, the third paper analyzes the impact of impressions with regard to mobile users of technology. Together, these papers provide an interesting cross-section of work within information systems across differing areas of psychology

Revealing individual and collective pasts : visualizations of online social archives

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2005.Includes bibliographical references (p. 118-125).As mediated communication becomes an increasingly central part of everyday life, people have started going online to conduct business, to get emotional support, to find communities of interest, and to look for potential romantic partners. Most of these social activities take place primarily through the exchange of conversational texts that, over time, accrue into vast archives. As valuable as these collections of documents may be for our comprehension of the online social world, they are usually cumbersome, impenetrable records of the past. This thesis posits that history visualization- the visualization of people's past presence and activities in mediated environments- helps users make better sense of the online social spaces they inhabit and the relationships they maintain. Here, a progressive series of experimental visualizations explores different ways in which history may enhance social legibility. The projects visualize the history of people's activities in four different environments: a graphical chat room, a wiki site, Usenet newsgroups, and email. History and the persistent nature of online communication are the common threads connecting these projects. Evaluation of these tools shows that history visualizations can be utilized in a variety of ways, ranging from aids for quicker impression formation and mirrors for self-reflection, to catalysts for storytelling and artifacts for posterity.by Fernanda Bertini Viégas.Ph.D