How Do Ideal Friend Preferences and Interaction Context Affect Friendship Formation? Evidence for a Domain- General Relationship Initiation Process

This research examined how people’s ideal friend preferences influence the friendship formation process. In an extension of prior research on romantic relationship initiation, we tested whether the match between participants’ ideals and a partner’s traits affected participants’ interest in forming a new friendship in three contexts: evaluating a potential friend’s profile, meeting in-person, and chatting online. Results revealed that participants were more interested in becoming friends with a partner whose traits matched (vs. mismatched) their ideal friend preferences when evaluating his or her profile. After a live interaction, however, the effect of the ideal-perceived trait match manipulation on participants’ friendship interest was substantially reduced in both in-person and online chatting contexts. People’s ideal friend preferences may influence their friendship interest more strongly in descriptive (i.e., indirect) than interactive (i.e., direct) contexts, a finding that mirrors prior results from the romantic domain and documents a role for domain-general relationship initiation processes

Peer Influence in Network Markets: An Empirical Investigation

We analyze the effect of peer influence on the diffusion of an innovative network good. We argue that the adopters of a network good have an incentive to convince others to purchase the same product because their utility depends on the number of other users. This peer-effect influences individuals’ adoption decisions alongside the more familiar installed-base-effect, based on the individual’s own insight that a larger number of installed units increases his/her benefit of adopting. We test empirically which effect dominates with Instant Messaging, an innovative network good. We arrive at surprising results with far-reaching implications for research and management. The diffusion of Instant Messaging was to a large extent driven by the peer-effect, but the installed-base-effect seemed to play no role. We perform our estimation with a discrete time hazard rate model that controls for unobserved heterogeneity.Hazard Rate Model;Innovation Diffusion;Instant Messaging;Network Markets;Peer Influence

Understanding Perceptions of Problematic Facebook Use: When People Experience Negative Life Impact and a Lack of Control

While many people use social network sites to connect with friends and family, some feel that their use is problematic, seriously affecting their sleep, work, or life. Pairing a survey of 20,000 Facebook users measuring perceptions of problematic use with behavioral and demographic data, we examined Facebook activities associated with problematic use as well as the kinds of people most likely to experience it. People who feel their use is problematic are more likely to be younger, male, and going through a major life event such as a breakup. They spend more time on the platform, particularly at night, and spend proportionally more time looking at profiles and less time browsing their News Feeds. They also message their friends more frequently. While they are more likely to respond to notifications, they are also more likely to deactivate their accounts, perhaps in an effort to better manage their time. Further, they are more likely to have seen content about social media or phone addiction. Notably, people reporting problematic use rate the site as more valuable to them, highlighting the complex relationship between technology use and well-being. A better understanding of problematic Facebook use can inform the design of context-appropriate and supportive tools to help people become more in control.Comment: CHI 201

Making Law More Accessible: Designing Collaborative Learning Environments for Physically Remote Generation Y Students

In addition to an understanding of substantive law, the undergraduate law degree at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) aims to develop students’ lifelong skills. In the unit ‘Principles of Equity’ the skill developed includes teamwork, in the context of legal letter writing. Given the increased technological mobility of Generation Y students, the presenters have developed and trialled a model that enables these skills to be learnt and practiced online. The result is a more flexible environment that not only ensures congruent learning experiences between internal and external (or physically remote) students, but provides a connected or engaged educational program to supplement existing teaching method. This paper outlines the above project, the pedagogy that influenced it, and its impact on student learning experiences. Some issues for the development of such learning innovations in the future are also addresse

Whispers in the Classroom

Part of the Volume on Digital Young, Innovation, and the UnexpectedOnline backchannel chat rooms offer the potential to transform classroom learning in unexpected and powerful ways. However, the specific ways in which they can influence teaching pedagogy and learning opportunities are less well understood. Activities in a backchannel may include the dissemination of ideas, knowledge building, asking and answering questions, engaging in critical discourse, and sharing information and resources. This chapter describes a backchannel chat room that has taken place over multiple years in a large university student community. It explores unforeseen and exciting opportunities, as well as possible limitations, for designing teaching and learning practices to leverage this communication medium. With a deeper understanding of the opportunities and limitations of the backchannel, educators and instructional designers could transform the classroom experience from a passive lecture model to one of active, collaborative, and engaged knowledge production

Implementing Web 2.0 in secondary schools: impacts, barriers and issues

One of the reports from the Web 2.0 technologies for learning at KS3 and KS4 project. This report explored Impact of Web 2.0 technologies on learning and teaching and drew upon evidence from multiple sources: field studies of 27 schools across the country; guided surveys of 2,600 school students; 100 interviews and 206 online surveys conducted with managers, teachers and technical staff in these schools; online surveys of the views of 96 parents; interviews held with 18 individual innovators in the field of Web 2.0 in education; and interviews with nine regional managers responsible for implementation of ICT at national level

Applying an Extended Task-Technology Fit for Establishing Determinants of Mobile Learning: An Instant Messaging Initiative

The high proliferation of mobile instant messaging (MIM) among university students creates opportunities for a new wave of mobile learning. However, correlational methods for assessing factors that influence student performance impacts on MIM platforms for learning are blurry. The task-technology fit theory has been widely used in the past in predicting performance impacts of users after using new technology. Despite the momentum gained by this framework in the information systems community, it lacks focus on user characteristics. The purpose of this study is to develop an extended model for task-technology fit through an integration of individual antecedent characteristics. Data were collected from 223 participants using a survey questionnaire. The analysis was performed using the partial least squares approach to structural equation modelling. The findings of the study confirmed the original task-technology fit hypotheses considered in this study. Study findings associated with individual antecedent characteristics indicate that perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of the academic use of the MIM positively influence task-technology fit, while social influence was found to have no significant bearing on task-technology fit

Impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on construction projects

The changing face of construction projects has resulted in a movement towards the use of technology as a primary means of communication. The consequences of this rise in the use of information and communication technology (ICT) is a loss of interpersonal communication skills. A number of resulting issues within the human – electronic and human – human interfaces are identified in an attempt to define the efficiency of communication in projects. The research shows how ICT effects the social environment of construction project teams and the project outcome. The study seeks to confirm the need for further work in order to develop new forms of communication protocols and behaviour. An initial literature review was undertaken to develop a theoretical review of the impacts of ICT on construction project teams. This review identified a number of issues that were then tested in the field through an observation and two verification interviews. The research confirms the existence of tensions and conflicts in the human – electronic and human - human communication interfaces within the studies environment. It is proposed that the increasing use of ICT occur at the expense of soft system communication. The principal impact of this is a form of ‘human distraction’ which adversely affects the performance of project teams. There is limited theory exploring these issues that suggests the problems identified are not well understood and consequently indicates a gap in knowledge

Business school techspectations Technology in the daily lives and educational experiences of business students

Business School Techspectations is the second in a series of reports based on research by the DCU Leadership, Innovation and Knowledge Research Centre (LInK) at DCU Business School. With its roots in an Irish business school, it is no surprise that LInK’s mission is to strengthen the competitiveness, productivity, innovation and entrepreneurial capacity of the Irish economy. Ireland’s next generation transformation will be enabled by information and communication technologies (ICT) and digital participation by members of Irish society. As a university research centre we have an important role to play in supporting education, industry and government to accelerate this transformation

Intimate Strangers and Estranged Intimates: An Investigation of the Impact of Instant Messaging and Short Message Service on the Size and Strength of Social Networks in Kuwait

Information and communication technologies (ICT) have revolutionized how people experience spatial proximity, reality, and connectivity. These technologies provide inexpensive access to anything and anyone in the world. They also replicate face-to-face interaction in cyber-space and allow for participation in numerous modes of social exchange. People use Information and communication technologies to write web logs (blogs), send electronic mail (email), socialize through networking sites (such as Facebook and MySpace), text each other through mobile phone Short Message Service (SMS) and chat via online instant messaging (IM).With all these applications, a debate has ignited that actual physical communication is decreasing in favor of online connectivity, thus leading to more but weaker social ties. Previous research within the field of communication technologies has produced incongruent and contrasting results regarding the effects of ICT on human behavior and social connectivity. Additionally, only a humble body of research avails systematic representative studies tracking the sociological impact of media technologies. Such systematic research is non-existent in developing countries. Given the rarity of research in this realm and the incessant change in technology, this study aimed to examine the effects of two types of ICT, text and instant messaging, on the strength and size of three circles of social networks (family, friends and acquaintances) in Kuwait. The study also explored the potential impact of demographic characteristics on these circles. This examination was theoretically framed by uses and gratifications. Using a self-administered a questionnaire, the study surveyed a nationally representative sample of 406 IM and/or SMS users, reflecting Kuwaiti adults between the ages of 18 to 65 years. The survey was distributed to respondents in government offices, private companies, educational institutions and malls in the State of Kuwait. Statistical analyses performed to analyze data included t-tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), Chi Square, Scheffe test, Pearson correlation, crosstabs, frequencies and percentage distributions. The study formulated five research questions and tested 12 hypotheses, only one of which was rejected. Except for the size of the family circle for social ties which was found to be insignificantly correlated to instant message usage; both the strength and size of social networks in all three examined circles were found to be significantly negatively and positively correlated, respectively, to technology usage, whether instant or text messaging. Furthermore, certain demographic factors, such as gender and marital status, played a modest role with regards to social ties. The findings of this research effort are validated by previous academic studies and different research institutions. As reflected by the results, new communication technologies have both numerous advantages and inadvertent disadvantages. Hence, given their sheer weight as a social force, ICT should be further examined as technologies continue to advance and change social connectivity