Internet and face‐to‐face communication: Not functional alternatives

TLDR

The study preliminarily investigates whether computer‑mediated communication can serve as a functional alternative to face‑to‑face interaction. The authors surveyed 132 Internet users, examined motives for CMC versus face‑to‑face interactions, and analyzed the effects of locus of control and communication apprehension on these motives using MANOVA and ANOVA. The findings showed that CMC apprehension significantly affected communication motives and that participants did not view Internet use as a functional alternative to face‑to‑face communication.

Abstract

This study is a preliminary investigation of computer‐mediated communication (CMC) as a functional alternative to face‐to‐face communication. We examined the relationships between motives for using the Internet as a CMC channel and motives for face‐to‐face interactions as well as the influence of locus of control and communication apprehension as antecedents of face‐to‐face and mediated interactions. We surveyed a sample (N=132) of Internet users and tested the hypothesis that no differences exist between CMC and interpersonal communication motives (i.e., that they would be functional alternatives). We also used MANOVA and ANOVA procedures to see if main and interaction effects existed for high and low locus of control and high and low CMC apprehension respondents on interpersonal and media motives. Results indicated CMC Apprehension main effect differences for communication motives, and that use of the Internet as a communication channel is not perceived as a functional alternative to face‐to‐face communication.