cmc sense making
Post on 01-Jul-2015
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Sarah Cavanah and Michelle FaraboughCMC Spring 2012
Us vs. Them: Examining sense-making elements and SIDE in group communication in an online Asperger’s community discussion forum
Introduction
• Autism Spectrum Disorder• Behavior impairments• No cause; no explicit treatment
• Internet brings together marginalized groups
Alternative therapies
• Anecdotal evidence • Opioids affect neurotransmitters• Less severe symptoms
Computer Mediated Communication
• Online social support groups• Models of community
• Online health and social behavior • Lay expertise impacts treatment
Guiding Theory: SIDE
• Social Identity of De-Individuation Effects
• De-individuation roots• Collective unconsciousness
• In CMC, group norms rule• Reinforces group identity
Guiding Methodology
• Sense-Making Methodology (SMM)• Information seeking • Public sphere• Online context of time
Verbing Variables
• Situating — Emoting — Self-growing
• Engaging — Perspectiving — Empathying
• Generalizing — Reflecting — Consciencitizing
Research Questions
• What types of verbing phrases are used in an online forum and at what rates?• What proportion of posts are solos posts with no
responses?• Do elements of SMM
interaction used in threads change over time?
Sampling: Aspergerinfo.com
Results: Frequency of verbing phrases
EngagingEmoting SituatingPerspectivingSelf-growingReflectingGeneralizingEmpathyingConscientizing
Results: Situating in specific time-space
Results: Engaging with one another
Results: Perspectiving more abstractly
Results: Empathying
Results: Media coincidence?
Discussion
• Participants worked collectively to de-individualizing themselves and others
• Situating > Self-to-Society
Limitations of small pilot study
• Sample was purposive
• SMM coding scheme not used for SIDE
• Low statistical power of analysis
Future Research
• Unified, detailed coding scheme
• Identify posters and their topics
• Comprehensive media time analysis
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