Perceived presence in mediated communication: antecedents and effects
Abstract
An individual’s experience of perceived presence during a communicative
interaction is critical to communication, psychology, information systems, and business
scholars alike, as it lies at the center of all mediated experiences (Biocca, 1997; Lee, K.
M., 2004; Lombard & Ditton, 1997). The increased use of mediated technology
universally and in the workplace has contributed to the importance of the presence
construct. The current research examines the multidimensional nature of presence, often
generally described as an experience of social and physical connectedness that an
individual experiences while communicating with another using information technology.
Three unique dimensions of presence are addressed including perceived physical, social,
and self presence. Two principle research questions are addressed. First, two media
attributes, media capacity and synchronicity, are examined for their influence on each
dimension of presence. In addition, demographic factors that may influence presence are
discussed as controls. The second research question investigates the impact of each
dimension of presence on three categories of organizationally-relevant outcomes. The
three outcome categories include social, task, and interaction-oriented outcomes.
Hypotheses for these two primary research questions are presented and methodology for
investigating them is discussed. Findings indicate that presence is a multi-dimensional
construct and that different media attributes affect each of the three types of presence in a
unique way. A medium’s synchronicity is much more influential in shaping perceptions
of presence than its capacity. Specifically, synchronicity was significantly related to
perceived physical, social, and self presence; in contrast, the capacity of a medium
affected only physical presence. In addition, each of the three forms of presence also
influences the social, task-related, and communication outcomes examined differently.
Implications of the research findings are discussed and possible research directions
overviewed.
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