Distinguishing technologies for social interaction: The perceived social affordances of communication channels scale

The concept of affordances in communication technology research has proven to be heuristically provocative, yet perceived affordances are rarely measured. After extracting commonly cited social affordances from the literature, we developed a measure to assess participants’ perceptions of these affordances. The scale was tested across eight communication channels in two studies (face-to-face; texting; phone; email; posts on social networking sites, specifically Facebook; instant messaging; Skype videoconferencing; and mobile app Snapchat). A factor structure was developed in Study 1 and confirmed in Study 2. The resultant Perceived Social Affordances of Communication Channels Scale includes 41 items measuring 10 communicative affordances: accessibility, bandwidth, social presence, privacy, network association, personalization, persistence, editability, conversation control, and anonymity. Potential methodological and theoretical applications are discussed.     

Public deliberation and social justice sensibilities in Greensboro Participatory Budgeting

ABSTRACT

Participatory budgeting (PB) has emerged as a tool for empowering marginalized communities and advancing social justice through public deliberation and advocacy. However, public deliberation scholars have contested the appropriate roles of social justice, activism, and equity. PB bridges deliberation, advocacy, and equity, as it strives to accomplish social change. We detail how the first cycle of Greensboro PB navigated tensions between residents who sought social change and government officials who wished to maintain the status quo. We argue PB is an example of public deliberation that fosters social justice sensibilities among participants and conclude with applied recommendations for design improvements.     

Challenging Assumptions Underlying the Metamorphosis Phase: Ethnographic Analysis of Metamorphosis Within an Unemployment Organization

Organizational communication scholars have grappled with assimilation processes and expanded the theoretical conceptualization of each phase. This article joins in conversation with organizational communication scholars by identifying and problematizing the assumption that reaching metamorphosis is always a positive experience. Through the ethnographic analysis of empirical data collected from an unemployment support organization, the author argues that being an established organizational member is sometimes counter to organizational objectives. While traditional organizations attempt to maintain and grow their membership, some alternative organizational formats aim to minimize membership. This premise challenges the assumption that achieving metamorphosis is always a desirable state of organizational membership. Furthermore, this study reveals how communication changes when it is undesirable for service recipients to reach metamorphosis.     

Introducing computational social science for Asia-Pacific communication research

ABSTRACT

Computational social science has caused a shift of research paradigm in social science in general and communication in particular. The special issue brings together a community of active researchers to introduce computational social science for Asia-Pacific communication research. The special issue outlines major computational methods closely related to communication research and demonstrates how computational methods can be applied to address theoretical and practical questions in Asia-Pacific societies. The advantages and limitations of computational methods have been conceptually discussed and/or empirically illustrated. Finally, the special issue provides a guideline of conducting computational research for communication researchers in Asia-Pacific societies and beyond.     

我国科技期刊视频摘要的社交化传播及其优化策略研究

通过对社交媒体平台上科技期刊视频摘要的实践进行梳理,总结我国科技期刊视频摘要社交化传播现状,并提出优化策略。在微信平台搜索“视频摘要”,并按一定标准筛选,对最终查找到的30本科技期刊的相关数据进行统计和分析。结果显示,社交平台上科技期刊论文视频摘要的识别检索存在一定困难,明确标注使用“视频摘要”的较少,不同科技期刊在公众号或视频号上的视频摘要传播效果存在差异。总体而言,我国科技期刊视频摘要相关实践已取得一定成效,但也存在一定问题,需进一步规范使用与清晰标注,强化社交化、多模态化与有策略的传播,以提升传播效果,并拓展学术成果传播的多样可能。     

Examining the quality of social support messages produced face-to-face and in computer-mediated communication: The effects of hyperpersonal communication

ABSTRACT

The hyperpersonal communication model was used to investigate the implications of the reduced social cues in computer-mediated communication (CMC) for the production of social support messages. Participants were randomly assigned to interact with a confederate seeking help about a problem for which the confederate was or was not responsible. The interactions took place either face-to-face or in one of two CMC conditions. The results were partially consistent with the intensification effect proposed in the hyperpersonal model. Participants evaluated the confederate most negatively, but produced the highest quality support messages, in the CMC condition with visual anonymity followed by the CMC condition and face-to-face condition. Participants’ evaluations of the confederate were also influenced by the confederate’s responsibility for their problem.     

Mapping user relationships for health information diffusion on microblogging in China: A social network analysis of Sina Weibo

This study applies social network analysis to examining the pattern of relationships among networked users on Sina Weibo, the most popular social networking site in China. Focusing on verified (or V-) users and ordinary (non-V-) users, this study maps three centrality attributes of the social network, in terms of in/out degree, closeness, betweenness, along with cliques, in the dissemination and sharing of health-related information in the virtual community. Findings reveal a ‘spider web’ pattern of relationship among 50 V-users and 50 non-V-users during a regular period of time, highlighting the dominant position of the V-users for health-related information diffusion. Data analysis then reports a ‘drifting dandelion’ pattern of network among those who shared the information about a health-related incident on Weibo. This study also provides further information about the topical categories of health-related messages shared during the regular period as well as the topics concerning the incident. The implications of social networking media for health communication are also discussed.     

Candidates’ use of informal communication on social media reduces credibility and support: Examining the consequences of expectancy violations

ABSTRACT

This experiment (N= 476) investigates how individuals evaluate political candidates who use informal communication on social media. We use expectancy violations theory (EVT) to predict that informal communication will lead to negative evaluations. Our results suggest that politicians’ use of informal communication on social media leads to expectancy violation, which decreases perceived credibility and lessens intention to support a candidate. This effect was not moderated by sex (male versus female) or age (young versus old) of the candidate, nor of participants being the same sex as the candidate. These findings suggest that political figures should use informal communication on social media with caution.     

The impact of online social capital on social trust and risk perception

This study investigated how social media use and online social capital might have influenced social trust and risk perception of a public health crisis in China. It also tested the validity and reliability of the online social capital measurement in the context of a Chinese food-safety crisis. Study findings validated the impact of online social capital on social trust and risk perception. In addition, two new dimensions of online social capital scale were identified; these two dimensions are in parallel to Putnam’s [2000. Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of american community. New York: Simon and Schuster] conception of ‘bonding social capital’ and ‘bridging social capital.’ Social and policy implications of the study results are discussed.     

Malevolence,stigma, and social distance: Maximizing intergroup differences in HIV/AIDS discourse

This study examined the intergroup language used by young heterosexual Australians in conversations about HIV/AIDS and safe sex. Sixty male and 72 female heterosexuals participated in four‐person facilitated conversations (same‐sex or mixed‐sex) about HIV/AIDS and safe sex, which were recorded and transcribed. We focused on extracts concerning strangers or malevolent individuals who appear to be group members, along with extracts involving foreign national groups. Discourse analysis showed that groups at lower levels of social distance were constructed mainly in terms of individual responsibility. At moderate social distance, stereotypes were more negative, but sub‐typing was common, whereas at the highest levels, people were constructed entirely in intergroup terms. The findings of this study suggest that HTV prevention programs should make reference to all salient outgroups, so as to neutralize communicative strategies that strengthen intergroup boundaries as a means of reducing perceived personal threat of HIV infection.     

Communication message cues and opinions about people with depression: an investigation of discussion on Weibo

A content analysis was conducted of the posts generated by mass media organizations and public opinion leaders on the Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo to investigate the associations between several communication message cues and opinions about people with depression (N = 102). The study revealed that the posts of the influential users were more likely to be stigmatizing when they communicated stereotypes, but less likely to be stigmatizing or more likely to be supportive when they made personal, genetic and medical, and social and environmental cause and responsibility claims. The posts were also more likely to be supportive if the influential users presented treatment and recovery information. In addition to finding out what communication cues activate the influential users' stigmatizing or supportive opinions, the study also examined and found the impact of the influential users' opinions on their followers' opinions on this issue (N = 8261). The findings showed that the public opinion leaders were more likely than the mass media to express support for people with depression. This support then translated into supportive responses among their followers toward those living with the disease.     

Effectiveness of health messages to change women's thin-ideal and unhealthy weight control intentions: Connecting social norms and social networks approaches

The thin-ideal is becoming increasingly dominant among women in Eastern Asian countries such as China and South Korea. The internalization of the thin-ideal leads to body image disturbance and unhealthy weight-control behaviors. Based on the social networks and social norms approaches, this study tests the effectiveness of normative messages in reducing women's internationalization of the thin-ideal and weight-control intentions through an experiment among female college students in China. It investigates how the following three factors: content of normative message (psychoeducational or feminist), source of the message (strong ties or weak ties), and characteristics of the recipients (self-weight evaluations) influence women's body image and weight-control intentions. Results of this study suggest that normative messages with a psychoeducational approach delivered through strong ties are more effective in decreasing women's internalization of the thin-ideal than the same message delivered through weak ties. In contrast, normative messages with a feminist approach delivered through weak ties are more effective in reducing women's internalization of the thin-ideal and unhealthy weight-control intentions than the same messages delivered through strong ties. There is an interaction effect between message content and recipients' self-weight evaluation. The theoretical and practical implications of this study are discussed.     

社会标注在卫生社交网络中的应用

随着Web2．0技术的发展,社会标注作为网络资源组织的重要方式,已经广泛应用于各种类型的网站。通过深入研究社会标注在卫生社交网络中的应用和存在的不足,提出了建立社会化登陆模式、构建标签库、建立标签自动分类系统、实现个性化推荐机制、进行标签语义分析、设置用户权限等促进卫生社交网络朝着更好方向发展的建议。     

Trust,norms and networks in social media environmental mobilization: a social capital analysis of Under the Dome in China

After the Spring Festival of 2015, an environmental documentary called Under the Dome in which Chai Jing acted as a narrator has caused the public opinion to boom in social media in China. Why could a documentary released by internet attract so much attention and spark such a heated discussion? What are the factors that have influence on the information dissemination of social media environmental mobilization? This paper employed case study and semi-structure interviews to reveal these questions. It turned out that individual trust, group norms and information networks of the social capital played an important role in the social media environmental mobilization. The reason why Under the Dome became a hot issue was that it made full use of the social media users’ trust on the mobilizer, aroused the mobilized’s emotions and combined the network channels of social relationships.     

全面践行医药期刊的社会责任

从医药科技期刊的社会属性分析其社会责任,认为医药期刊应全面履行制止学术不端、继续医学教育、患者教育、突发事件报道、参与医疗体制改革、扩大对外交流、引领学术发展等社会责任,并提出了践行相应社会责任的方式与策略。     

《北直农话报》的刊物特色及其社会作用

根据历史史料,在分析<北直农话报>特色的基础上,探讨它在我国农业发展中的地位、作用及其对我国科技期刊发展的影响,得到了有益的启示.     

剖析学术期刊的"两个效益"

鉴于目前研究学术期刊的效益时都只看到发行量少而不能盈利的表面现象,有必要深层次地剖析学术期刊广阔而又深层的社会效益,持久而又滞后的经济效益.指出学术期刊特殊的功能价值和商品属性,为合理评价学术期刊的绩效,准确核算学术期刊的盈亏提供参考.     

农民社会网络及其对信息交流的影响

社会网络是农民交流和获取信息的主要渠道,也对农民的信息交流和获取有深刻的影响。通过问卷调查660位农民的社会网络及其对不同涉农信息的传播发现,基于讨论关系的农民社会网络表现出强连带、高趋同性、低异质性的特点;这种网络特征使农民与外界的信息交流受到局限;受教育水平和收入水平的差别经由社会网络转化成信息交流的差别与分化。由此看来,农民的社会网络虽然是交流信息的主要渠道,但其改变农民所处的信息格局的能力十分微弱,而且有可能加剧农民与其他人群以及不同教育水平和收入水平的农民之间的信息分化。     

Stigma activation through dis-identification: cognitive bias triggered by mass media photos of people with obesity

ABSTRACT

This study investigated how the prevalent visual depiction of obesity in the media promotes stigmatization of obese individuals. Particularly, this study proposed and tested the two sequential mechanisms which were not explicated in the previous models but indispensable in stigma research: (1) the disease avoidance response (i.e. discomfort for physical contact) and (2) dehumanizing perception. Results of two experiments overall supported the extended model: the headless photos of obese individuals triggered the disease avoidance responses, which sequentially increased the dehumanizing perception of and negative attitudes toward obese individuals. The identity trait (e.g. gender) match increased readers' level of social identification with obese people and alleviated the disease avoidance response when they saw the photo of the obese model as a whole being. By contrast, the opposite effects (i.e. disidentification and heightened discomfort) were found when the participants saw the headless photo of the obese model of the same gender.     

我国网民网络社交行为调查

以大规模网络调查数据为基础,对目前我国网民网络社交的方式、范围和深度进行全方位的分析。调查发现,即时聊天工具是目前我国网民使用最多的网络社交手段,而社交网站在年轻人群中发展迅猛;我国网民中的重度网络社交使用人群和浅层网络社交使用人群分层明显,网民网络社交的范围与其现实世界中的社交网络重合度较高;网民的网络社交深度总体上还停留在较浅的层次。