New interactive communication technologies, envisaged as the dominant media of tomorrow, is predicted to alter the fabric of human society and our understanding of communication. Against the backdrop of these new technologies, attempts are already being made to redefine communication in horizontal terms. However, the present state of new media research has not yet come to grips with this theoretical shift. This study focuses on a prominent dimension of the new media research that deals with media choice. This study argues that the present research has not accounted for the role of the communication partner in the horizontal process of communication. Based on the distinction between the relational and content dimensions of communication made by relational communication research, the study argues that participants in communication can have different goals which may either be competitive or complementary with those of the communication partner. The study hypothesizes that relational control would be a significant factor in communication situations when the relational dimension of communication goals is competitive and content control would be a significant factor when content dimension is competitive. / The hypotheses were tested with personal interviews conducted among a self-selected sample of 70 persons who regularly communicate with any of the four media of communication--face-to-face, telephone, e-mail and written media. The interview schedule sought to find the reasons for respondents' media choice in different situations. A content analysis of the responses supported the hypotheses that in situations of relational competitiveness, relational control is a significant factor. Content control figured as a significant variable in all the situations that were tested. Among the four modes of communication, face-to-face was most often used for persuasion, while telephone and e-mail were more often used to position oneself relationally vis a vis the other. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-07, Section: A, page: 2371. / Major Professor: C. Edward Wotring. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1993.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_76949 |
| Contributors | Kayany, Joseph Mathai., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 169 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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