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