Dr. Martin Lea – Page 4

Video demonstration of experiment into computer-mediated communication, deindividuation and group decision-making

The BBC filmed a simulation of our early experiment (Lea & Spears, 1991) into group computer-mediated communication for a programme called “Computers in Conversation” which was first broadcast on BBC2 in 1995. The programme, which discussed the emerging potential of a relatively cueless text-based computer medium for social interaction and group collaboration, was part of an Open University series on Information … Read more

Communication Problems in Disaster Situations

Communication problems are pervasive in many disaster situations. Nearly all the case studies of disasters occurring in the last 30 years describe communication problems of some sort. The general issues are: 1) external communication with the public (covered in another post); 2) internal communication among emergency response personnel and their agencies, discussed here. Technical problems … Read more

Group Influences on Disaster Response

[clear] Disaster response is socially arranged in complex ways by group and organizational considerations. In this presentation I consider: Groups as causal factors e.g. negligent companies, terrorists Groups as processes Intra-group and inter-group e.g. mass psychogenic illness e.g. identification between helpers and victims e.g. inter-agency communication Groups as moderators e.g. influence of families, communities on responses … Read more

Visibility and anonymity effects on attraction and group cohesiveness

This study investigated attraction and group cohesiveness under different visibility and anonymity conditions for social categories that differed in their capacity to be visually cued. Using computer-mediated communication in 36 mixed gender (visually cued category) and nationality (non-visually cued category) groups, we manipulated social category salience (via discussion topic), and anonymity vs. visibility (via live … Read more

Social presence in distributed group environments: The role of social identity

This paper argues that to achieve social presence in a distributed environment, it is not necessary to emulate face-to-face conditions of increased cues to the interpersonal. Rather, it is argued, that a sense of belongingness to the group, or perceptual immersion in the group, can be realised through the creation of a shared social identity … Read more

How journal editors (and all academics) can benefit from social media – talk by Andy Miah

An interesting talk on the uses of Social Media by academics by Andy Miah who is Director of the Creative Futures Institute & Professor of Ethics and Emerging Technologies, University of the West of Scotland. Andy discusses the benefits of social media for journal editors, not only for publicity, but also as a platform for conversations, for … Read more

When are net effects gross products? The power of influence and the influence of power in computer-mediated communication

The rush to judgment about the social effects of the new communications media has branded them as positive and negative in equal measure. Alienation from “real world’ relationships coupled with a lack of social regulation within the medium is balanced by liberation from the influences, inequalities, and identities to which people are subjected in face-to-face … Read more

Intergroup differentiation in computer-mediated communication: Effects of depersonalization

Two studies examined intergroup discussions via computer-mediated communication systems. It was hypothesized that depersonalization, in comparison with individuated interaction, would increase the tendency for intergroup differentiation in attitudes and stereotypes. In Study 1, 24 groups communicated internationally over the Internet in a longitudinal design. Interacting groups, based in 2 different countries, were individuated versus partially … Read more

SIDE-VIEW: Evaluation of a prototype system to develop team players and improve productivity in Internet collaborative learning groups

This paper briefly summarizes the initial development of a computer-supported collaborative learning environment and evaluates its effects in relation to the productivity of CSCL groups. The design of the SIDE-VIEW system is driven by the social identity approach to understanding group behaviour and is premised upon the need to establish congruity between the self-definition of … Read more

Knowing me, knowing you: Anonymity effects on social identity processes within groups

The Social Identity Model of Deindividuation Effects (SIDE) proposes that depersonalization of self and others is responsible for the effects of visual anonymity on group behavior. The authors investigated these mediating processes by assessing the effects of group-based self-categorization and stereotyping of others on group attraction within visually anonymous or video-identifiable groups communicating via computer. … Read more

Social processes and group decision making: Anonymity in group decision support systems

Various social processes in decision-making groups are considered detrimental to the quality of decisions. It is often assumed that removing the ability for groups to exert strong social influence on its members improves group decisions. Group decision support systems (GDSSs) are increasingly used to remedy the social faults of the decision-making process in groups. In … Read more

The formation of group norms in computer-mediated communication

The formation of group norms in computer-mediated communication (CMC) was examined among students who used email as part of a course. A network analysis of group structures revealed that (a) content and form of communication is normative, group norms defining communication patterns within groups, (b) conformity to group norms increases over time, (c) communication outside … Read more

SIDE-VIEW: An interactive web environment to support group collaborative learning

The aims and objectives of this project are: (1) To provide a specification for the design of an interactive web environment to support group collaboration among geographically dispersed higher education students, based on recent social psychological theorizing about computer-mediated group interaction and ethnographic study of the problem domain of peer-learning and collaboration. (2) To iteratively … Read more

Breaching or building social barriers? SIDE effects of computer-mediated communication

Computer-mediated communication (CMC) is sometimes heralded for its power to break down social boundaries and to liberate individuals from social influence, group pressure, and status and power differentials that characterize much face-to-face interaction. This paper reviews research conducted within the framework of the social identity model of deindividuation effects demonstrating that this is not always … Read more

Paralanguage and social perception in computer-mediated communication

It is widely held that computer-mediated communication (CMC) filters out many of the social and affective cues associated with human interaction with consequent effects on communication outcomes and the medium’s suitability for interpersonal tasks. The relationship between paralanguage and social perception in CMC in different social contexts in investigated in two experiments. In Study 1 … Read more

Computer-mediated communication, deindividuation, and group decision-making

This paper discusses social psychological processes in computer-mediated communication and group decision-making in relation to findings that groups communicating via computer produce more polarized decisions than face-to-face groups. A wide range of possible explanations for such differences have been advanced, in which a lack of social cues, disinhibition, ‘deindividuation’ and a consequent tendency to antinormative … Read more

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