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The effect of computer‐mediated communication on conformity vs. nonconformity: An impression management perspective
Author(s) -
Schlosser Ann E.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of consumer psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.433
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1532-7663
pISSN - 1057-7408
DOI - 10.1016/j.jcps.2009.03.005
Subject(s) - impression management , conformity , psychology , nonconformity , perspective (graphical) , social psychology , impression , impression formation , contradiction , face (sociological concept) , social perception , perception , advertising , sociology , social science , operations management , business , philosophy , epistemology , artificial intelligence , neuroscience , computer science , economics
Abstract There is disagreement in the literature regarding whether those communicating in computer‐mediated (CM) groups are attentive or oblivious to the social situation. There is evidence on both sides, with those in CM groups sometimes modifying their public responses and other times not. This apparent contradiction may be due in part to the impression that those in CM groups wish to convey and whether modifying their responses would help convey this impression. Specifically, whereas those in face‐to‐face (FTF) groups may strategically alter their public responses to present themselves as part of the group, those in CM groups may strategically alter their public responses to present themselves as separate from the group and unique on a positive dimension. The results of three experiments support this impression‐management account: those in CM groups strategically altered their responses when doing so produced a desirable impression. The results further suggest that visual information about the group and social distance play important roles in affecting whether those in CM groups conform or not.