Castles, Computers, and Conversation: The Nature and Structure of Electronically-Mediated Dialogue
Date
1992
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Haverford College. Department of Psychology
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Award
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eng
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Haverford users only
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Abstract
In this study, various personality traits and attitudes that influence the use of computers in general and electronic communication in particular are discussed. Using the technique of naturalistic observation, data was collected that pointed to differences in conversational structure, content and tone of three different types of electronic media. The media used were bulletin boards, the electronic conference system known as IRC (Inter-Relay Chat), and the text-based virtual realities known as MUDs (Multiple User Dungeons). It was hypothesized that MUDs would support a fairly rich conversational structure that would approximate a face-to-face interaction more closely than would the other two media. Additionally, it was hypothesized that people who log in to these media with the intention of discussing computer-related topics would maintain a fairly tight focus upon this issue in their conversation, whereas people who have more social intentions would utilize these media to establish and maintain relationships. The results confirmed these hypotheses.