Gender differences in computer-mediated communication: A systematic literature review of online health-related support groups

2009 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phoenix K.H. Mo ◽  
Sumaira H. Malik ◽  
Neil S. Coulson
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 205630512098447
Author(s):  
Daphna Yeshua-Katz ◽  
Ylva Hård af Segerstad

This study highlights the challenges of computer-mediated communication for vulnerable individuals and groups, by studying boundary work in stigmatized communities online. Five stigmatized online communities with different affordances were studied: (1) “pro-ana” blogs; (2) an infertility discussion board; (3) a Facebook group for bereaved parents; and (4) two WhatsApp groups for Israeli veterans of war with post-traumatic stress disorder. In-depth interviews with members and administrators ( n = 66) revealed that social media affordances such as low anonymity and high visibility may marginalize those living with stigma. While research literature applauds social media for allowing the formation and maintenance of social capital, our study highlights the paradox caused by these very same affordances. To offer safe and functioning environments of support, the communities must guard against impostors whose presence threatens their safe havens. Simultaneously, this may make these groups inaccessible to those who truly need support and remove such groups from the public eye.


Author(s):  
Umer Farooq ◽  
Peter G. Fairweather ◽  
Mark K. Singley

Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) is largely an applied discipline, technologically supporting multiple individuals, their group processes, their dynamics, and so on. CSCW is a research endeavor that studies the use of, designs, and evaluates computer technologies to support groups, organizations, communities, and societies. It is interdisciplinary, marshalling research from different disciplines such as anthropology, sociology, organizational psychology, cognitive psychology, social psychology, and information and computer sciences. Some examples of CSCW systems are group decision support systems (e.g., Nunamaker, Dennis, Valacich, Vogel, & George, 1991), group authoring systems (e.g., Guzdial, Rick, & Kerimbaev, 2000), and computer-mediated communication systems (e.g., Sproull & Kiesler, 1991). Behavioral and social sciences provide a rich body of research and theory about principles of human behavior. However, researchers and developers have rarely taken advantage of this trove of empirical phenomena and theory (Kraut, 2003). Recently, at the 2004 Conference on CSCW, there was a panel discussion chaired by Sara Kiesler (Barley, Kiesler, Kraut, Dutton, Resnick, & Yates, 2004) on the topic of incorporating group and organization theory in CSCW. Broadly speaking, the panel discussed some theories applicable to CSCW and debated their usefulness. In this article, we use the theory of small groups as complex systems from social psychology in a brief example to allude to how it can be used to inform CSCW methodologically and conceptually.


2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (5) ◽  
pp. 694-712 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen A. Rains

Several forms of computer-mediated communication (e.g., online support groups, blogs, social network sites) have been shown to be important resources for social support among individuals coping with illness. The reported study attempts to better understand social support processes in these settings by examining the implications of language style matching—a form of interpersonal coordination involving the degree to which speakers match one another’s use of function words (e.g., articles, prepositions, pronouns). Language style matching among a sample of health bloggers and their readers over a 3-month period was tested as a predictor of bloggers’ perceptions of support available from their readers. The results show that language style matching contributed to bloggers’ perceptions that their readers are willing and able to serve as a resource for specific forms of social support.


Author(s):  
Elza Venter

As digital tools and social networks became the main mode of interaction for many people, interpersonal communication has changed. Computer-mediated communication (CMC) has become more important than face-to-face communication in many contexts. Younger generations prefer CMC. Personal interaction normally consists of verbal and non-verbal communication. Computer-mediated communication lacks traditional non-verbal cues, which may cause misunderstandings, influencing meaningful interpersonal communication. Because of a lack of face-to-face communication, people often present an idealised version of themselves, thus becoming less inhibited involving more inappropriate self-disclosure on, for instance, social networks. The research question for this literature review was whether communicating with others mainly through digital means without adequate non-verbal cues would influence meaningful interaction between people. This study used the cues-filtered-out approach and the social presence theory with a literature review to get some clarity on the above question. The premise of the author was that because of the lack of non-verbal cues, CMC messages could influence the understanding of emotions and attitudes, thus compromising meaningful communication and personal understanding of the other. The outcome was that in today’s world people have to use CMC, but for meaningful interpersonal communication, they should try to combine it with face-to-face interaction.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 31
Author(s):  
Safaa Al-Shlool

<p class="1"><span lang="X-NONE">The present study aims to investigate the differences and similarities in the ways men and women use (im)politeness strategies in communicating “online” in the Arabic discourse of social media network websites like Facebook as well as the role of the topic the interlocutors talk about in the use of (im)politeness strategies. In addition, the study investigates the differences between the men-men, women-women, women-men communication in the Arabic discourse of social media network website, Facebook. For the purposes of this study, a corpus of online Arabic texts were collected from some public web pages of the most popular TV show programs on some of the most well-liked social media network websites such as Facebook over a period of four months (from September 2012- December 2012). The obtained data were studied quantitatively and qualitatively. Many studies have been conducted on cross-gender differences especially in the computer mediated communication CMC, but none so far has focused on the gender differences and (im)politeness in the Arabic discourse of social media network websites although there is a huge number of Arabic users of such websites. The present study, therefore, attempts to fill in the gap in the literature. </span></p>


2011 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 113
Author(s):  
John M. Penrose ◽  
Douglas Muller

Computers are changing the way we communicate. Examples of new communication patterns abound, supported by variousoften conflictingtheories. This paper examines how electronic mail, in particular, may be changing the way we write. Included is discussion of an original study which sought to clarify some of the conflicting theories. The literature review and the results of the study, although tentative, provide a research agenda and useful findings for application to organizations.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 121-138
Author(s):  
Magda Żelazowska-Sobczyk ◽  
Magdalena Zabielska

In the last couple of years online support groups have become one of the most important sources of information and support for people suffering from particular conditions. The goal of the present paper is to examine the language used by the participants of an online support group for people with cochlear implants. The study consists of a qualitative analysis of computer-mediated communication on the basis of the posts and comments made by patients, their families and relatives. The results show that the language used by the participants is characterised by simplicity, emotionality and subjectivity. These features allow one to classify the language as non-specialist, even though some of the forum authors have a long disease history as well as a broad knowledge concerning their condition. This paper is a continuation of the study on English language support groups for people with hearing impairment (Zabielska, Żelazowska-Sobczyk 2019).


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