The Information Society · 2004 · 194 citations · 17 references
Social SciencesCommunicationPsychologyCommunication TheoryMass CommunicationWeb TechnologiesCommunication BehaviorComputer-mediated CommunicationMass Communication TheoryMedia EffectsNew MediaUses And GratificationsHuman-technology InteractionInformation Processing InvolvementInteractional MultimodalityInteractivityMedia Effects TheoryMediated InteractionOutcome Measures
Interactivity is frequently defined yet rarely theorized, especially regarding its effects on web‑based mass communication, and existing studies often suffer from tautological assumptions about perceived interactivity, underscoring the need to examine its ontological foundations and social‑psychological impacts. The study aims to develop technology‑centric theories of interactivity’s effects by arguing that interactivity is a technological attribute, exposing the tautology of perceived‑interactivity studies, and delineating how interactivity, modality, and navigability directly and jointly influence social and psychological outcomes. The authors categorize theoretical explorations into behavioral, attitudinal, and cognitive outcomes to examine how interactivity initiates action, shifts attitudes, and transforms information processing. Keywords: interactivity, media effects, psychology of technology, web‑based mass communication.
Abstract Noting that interactivity is often defined but seldom theorized in the literature, this article provides some pointers for developing theories about effects of interactivity, particularly as it applies to Web-based mass communication. It first makes the case that interactivity is an attribute of the technology and not that of the user. It exposes the tautology of studying the effects of perceived interactivity and calls for the consideration of ontological aspects that constitute interactivity while specifying its social and psychological effects. Theoretical explorations may be categorized in terms of three classes of outcome measures—behavioral, attitudinal, and cognitive—as we investigate the role played by interactivity in initiating action, changing attitudes, and altering the nature of information processing. These would result in theories about technology rather than psychology in that they help us specify direct and combination effects of interactivity, modality, navigability, and other technological attributes of the Web medium. Keywords: interactivitymedia effectspsychology of technologyweb-based mass communication
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Machines and Mindlessness: Social Responses to Computers
Clifford Nass, Youngme Moon · Journal of Social Issues · 2000 · 3.6K citations