Social attraction in video-mediated communication: The role of nonverbal affiliative behavior

Quantitative analysis of communication changes in online medication counseling using the Roter Interaction System

BACKGROUND

Quantitative analysis and objective evaluation of communication play an important role in medical communication education. In the process of developing an online methodology for medication counseling practice, we felt the necessity of conducting a quantitative evaluation to enhance its effectiveness.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to quantitatively evaluate the communication in each scenario to comprehensively identify the differences between face-to-face and online communication in medication counseling practicum. In addition, we examined how patient satisfaction changes between face-to-face and online interactions.

METHODS

Face-to-face and online role-playing were conducted between simulated patients (SPs) and students acting as pharmacists, and their dialogues were videotaped. The utterances in each recorded dialogue were categorized and analyzed by the Roter interaction analysis system (RIAS). The Japanese version of the Medical Interview Satisfaction Scale (MISS-21J) responses of the SPs were analyzed for the patient satisfaction survey.

RESULT

The results of the RIAS analysis revealed that the socio-emotional category appeared significantly more frequently in face-to-face communication, with more utterances that were more attuned to the feelings of the other person and more considerate of his or her feelings. The ratio of the number of utterances between students and SPs suggested that the communication was more interactive.

CONCLUSION

Based on the respective communication tendencies may have led to higher satisfaction in face-to-face than in online patient satisfaction surveys, less anxiety about illness and medications, and easier trusting relationships. Since it is difficult to grasp the mood of the other party and to open up to them due to the lack of nonverbal information in online dialogue, it is necessary to be more conscious of conversations that capture the feelings of patients in online medication counseling.

Listening and responsiveness in getting-acquainted processes

Listening and being responsive to another's turns at disclosure are essential processes that occur at all stages of a relationship, including and perhaps particularly at the formation stage. This article discusses research on the role of responsiveness and listening in contributing to positive outcomes from getting-acquainted interactions. Integral to listening and responsiveness in the getting-acquainted process is asking questions, which is also discussed in this article. Because getting-acquainted interactions can occur in different communication modalities and also with artificial intelligence (AI), variation in the degree to which listening and responsiveness occur as a function of the context will be considered. Although listening skills and responsiveness are desired in a romantic partner, these skills are difficult to assess in online profiles and dating apps, which have become common ways for meeting partners.

Video Call Usage in Older Adults With or Without Dementia Impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic

The usage of video calls for social connection generally increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. It remains unclear, how individuals with dementia (IWD), many of who already experienced isolation in their care settings, use and perceive video calls, what barriers and benefits exist, and how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted their use of video calls. An online survey was conducted to healthy older adults (OA) and people surrounding IWD as proxies. Both OA and IWD showed increased use of video calls after COVID-19 and the severity of dementia was not correlated with the video call usage among IWD during this period. Both groups perceived significant benefits in using video calls. However, IWD exhibited more difficulties and barriers to using them compared to OA. Given the perceived benefits of video calls to the quality of life in both populations, education and support by family, caregivers, or healthcare professionals are necessary for them.

What factors influence MOOC course completion? An investigation of course completion and workplace benefits from interpersonal attraction theory perspective

MOOCs have attracted millions of learners worldwide by providing the public with convenient access to learning and quality educational resources, but the high dropout rate in MOOCs is still an urgent problem. Drawing upon Situation-Organism-Behavior-Consequence framework and interpersonal attraction theory, this study investigates the relationship between instructor attractiveness and MOOC course completion and further analyzes the impact of MOOC course completion on their career development. The results reveal that knowledge attractiveness and communication attractiveness significantly influence learners' thirst for knowledge. Communication attractiveness and physical attractiveness significantly influence learners' parasocial relationships. The thirst for knowledge and parasocial relationships are important antecedents of course completion for in-service learners and in-service learners' completion of MOOC courses positively affects their workplace benefits. The findings provide new perspectives for the research domain of online education.

'Internet is easy if you know how to use it': Doing online research with people with learning disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic changed the way we live, work, interact and do research. Many activities moved online, and digital inclusion became an urgent issue for researchers working with people with learning disabilities and other groups at risk of exclusion. This has generated new questions about how we conduct research and what it means to go into 'the field'.

Methods

We discuss our experience working across four qualitative research projects involving 867 participants with learning disabilities, conducted during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Findings

Moving research online resulted in often-swift adaptations to research designs and practice, bringing new insights and benefits to our studies. The changing circumstances fostered innovation and greater flexibility and contributed to research becoming more accessible to many. However, doing research online also posed new challenges as well as amplified existing ones.

Conclusions

The pandemic has made it easier for some people with learning disabilities to participate in research, but more needs to be done to improve the reach and quality of that participation. Researchers should make the process of participation as accessible as possible. It is also their job to question and challenge the conditions that create barriers to participation in research and to look for ways to change these. We make some recommendations on how this can be achieved.

Videoconference Fatigue: A Conceptual Analysis

Videoconferencing (VC) is a type of online meeting that allows two or more participants from different locations to engage in live multi-directional audio-visual communication and collaboration (e.g., via screen sharing). The COVID-19 pandemic has induced a boom in both private and professional videoconferencing in the early 2020s that elicited controversial public and academic debates about its pros and cons. One main concern has been the phenomenon of videoconference fatigue. The aim of this conceptual review article is to contribute to the conceptual clarification of VC fatigue. We use the popular and succinct label "Zoom fatigue" interchangeably with the more generic label "videoconference fatigue" and define it as the experience of fatigue during and/or after a videoconference, regardless of the specific VC system used. We followed a structured eight-phase process of conceptual analysis that led to a conceptual model of VC fatigue with four key causal dimensions: (1) personal factors, (2) organizational factors, (3) technological factors, and (4) environmental factors. We present this 4D model describing the respective dimensions with their sub-dimensions based on theories, available evidence, and media coverage. The 4D-model is meant to help researchers advance empirical research on videoconference fatigue.

Social Bonding in Initial Acquaintance: Effects of Modality and Modality Order

In this experimental study, unacquainted dyads engaged in a get-acquainted task using two modes of communication across two segments of interaction. The dyads either first disclosed in text-based computer-mediated communication (CMC) and then disclosed face-to-face (FtF) or the reverse. The participants completed reaction measures after each segment of interaction. After the first segment, dyads who communicated FtF reported more positive outcomes (e.g., liking, closeness) than dyads who engaged in CMC. Furthermore, dyads who began in CMC and then transitioned to FtF increased in their positive reactions, whereas dyads who began in FtF and transitioned to CMC either experienced no change (in liking, closeness, and perceived similarity) or experienced a decrease (in fun/enjoyment and perceived responsiveness). Implications of the results are discussed both for the classic social psychology question of how people become acquainted and for current interest in how mixed-mode interactions generate social bonds that can help meet belonging needs.