Do Intimates Communicate by Richer Media? :

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  • 対人関係の親疎とコミュニケーションメディアの選択に関する研究
  • 対人関係の親疎とコミュニケーションメデイアの選択に関する研究
  • タイジン カンケイ ノ シンソ ト コミュニケーション メデイア ノ センタク ニ カンスル ケンキュウ
  • Interpersonal Relationships and Communication Media Choice among Japanese Youths

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Abstract

Much previous research has examined interpersonal relationships in CMC (computer-mediated communication). Some have discovered conditions for developing positive relationships, and others have found appropriate combinations of task and media. But they have paid little attention to how the degree of intimacy between communicants would affect their media choice. This research investigates the effects of the degree of intimacy between communicants, especially how media uses change in development of interpersonal relationship.<br>The questionnaire was conducted on 930 undergraduates. They marked how they would communicate in one of 3 (high-intimacy, middle-intimacy, low-intimacy) ×3 (face-to-face, mobile-talk, mobile-mail) conditions. Factor analysis identified five communication types (light tasks, sharing topics, opinion expressions, secrets and criticisms, high disclosures). Results show that communication in all media increased with the development of the relationship. Japanese young people often communicated by mobile-mail on complex matters and chose it more than mobile-talk in general. This result didn't match media richness theory that insists richer mediums would be used for complex communication.<br>This research also revealed another social construction of media use. In high disclosures, mobile-talk exceeded mobile-mail in low-intimacy but fell below mobile-mail in middle-intimacy. This suggests that mobile-mail gradually substitutes for mobile-talk in the process of relationship development. Actual patterns of media use are not determined by technological traits per se, but are rather socially constructed.

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