Using experimental designs to understand sender’s effect in mediated interactions
What if what we say can influence how we think and feel about a stranger? I am interested in exploring how we can basically talk ourselves into liking or disliking a person. Guided by the hyperpersonal model and identity shift theory of computer-mediated communication, I designed an experiment to test the effects of sending evaluative statements on the senders’ impression of the target. I demonstrated that sending positive evaluative messages to a partner’s selective self-presentation can improve the sender’s attitude toward that recipient, while negative evaluative messages can diminish it. This project is now published in Media Psychology. Read the article here.
Advancing our understanding of cognitive processes in mediated interactions
Does cognitive load diminish our impression formation process? Guided by metacognition scholarship and feeling-as-information theory, I examined the relationship between multitasking, processing fluency, and impression of the target. Our study revealed that multitasking can increase the perceived difficulty of a communication task, which in turn impedes individuals’ ability to form impressions of their partner. This project is now published in Communication Studies. Read the article here.
Using reaction time to understand impression formation
CMC scholars have been using attitudes as a mechanism to test interpersonal impression formation. If that is the case, does attitude accessibility play a role in this process? To answer this question, I designed a lab experiment that investigated the relationship between the valence of impression toward the conversation partner and impression formation outcomes, with attitude accessibility as a mediator (measured through a reaction time task). We found that being positive toward a conversation partner enhances the accessibility of attitudes toward that target, whereas negativity reduces accessibility. This project is under review in Computers in Human Behavior.