How do technologically mediated interactions influence the way we learn about our relationships?

8/11/2019 How do technologically mediated interactions influence the way we learn about our relationships?

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PLYMOUTH UNIVERSITY

Plymouth Institute of Education

HOW DO TECHNOLOGICALLY MEDIATED

INTERACTIONS INFLUENCE THE WAY WE

LEARN ABOUT OUR RELATIONSHIPS?

Does technology make the nature of

relationships more visible?

Dissertation presented for the degree of BEd (Hons) Primary

Information and Communication Technology

Megan Douglas

April 2014


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Megan Douglas 10377685 EICT302

Abstract

Technology is constantly changing the way in which we live our lives as developments in

technological communications grow it is becoming ever more visible that technology is

affecting our social structure in terms of interactions and communications. This research

project is an autobiographical study that follows the relationships and interactions of a

twenty one year old university student. The research led to the following questions: How

do technologically mediated interactions influence the way we learn about our

relationships?. The major findings of the report found that face to face interactions are

still greatly evident and complement that of online conversations resulting in the need for

further technological work to be completed if we wish to replicate the high quality,

emotions and effects of a natural and face to face conversation.


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Contents

Abstract.. 2

Introduction. 4

Literature Review 5

Methodology 11

Method 15

Results 17

Discussion & Key Findings.20

Limitations... 24

Conclusions. 26

Reference List.... 28

Appendix A .33

Appendix B .35

Appendix C .42


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Introduction

The English Oxford Dictionary (2014) defines a relationship as the way in which two or

more people or things are connected, or the state of being connect.

Connection running as a key theme across the definition, a word thrown around often

when looking at developments in social technology, on sites such as LinkedIn (2014) we

have connections on Facebook (2014) we have friends and Twitter (2014) we have

followers. These all being verbs to describe a connection between two or morepeople.

Dunbar (1992) suggested that as humans we can only maintain approximately 150

meaningful relationships but with the growth in social networking sites and with the

average Facebook user having 338 friends (Sedghi, 2014) it is to be questioned howwe

can sufficiently deal with and maintain these connections.

With the increase in methods of communications and connections it is to be researched

how the quality of these interactions are compromised and visible when using

technology. In this paper I aim to explore, make contrasts and evaluate the way

relationships are influenced through the use and presence of technology.


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Literature Review

There are many different ways in which we connect with others and cultivate our

relationships. We are social beings and most people spend a great deal of their time

engaging in some kind of social interaction, we spend time together, live together and

most choose to spend spare time with friends.

We are afraid of isolation, it is found as a form of distress in our ever growing social

society, with high rates of suicide in the Far East caused by loss of face (Argyle, 1983,

pp. 11). Despite this being aged research it highlighted the growing impact of

interpersonal theories around suicidal behaviour with those of thwarted belongingness

(Van Orden et al, 2011) and those that are perceived to be a burden within society. The

most up to date world suicide standings show that suicide is a significant national social

issue in Greenland (Leineweber, 2013) due to the lack of social interactions many have

with one another, particularly within the Inuit community.

They lack what most seek in social interaction, described by Argyle (1983, pp. 12) as; to

be approved of and to make friends, to dominate or to depend on others, to be admired,

to be helped or given social support and provide help and advice to others. Argyle noted

that social behaviour is the product of at least seven different drives, these being

biological needs, dependency, affiliation, dominance, sex, aggression, self-esteem and

ego-identity complemented with other motivations which affect social behaviour. These

are closely linked to Maslows (1943) hierarchy of needs where each of Argyles

suggested drives fit into each category for interpersonal behaviours and relationships.

Looking closer at Maslows theory it is clear that it can be argued that many may not

have the basic needs to progress to the next level and goals of the success ladder


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however does that mean that those that do not have good access to food and water or

shelter are unable to love and progress their relationships to love and belong? Tay &

Diener (2011) tested this theory with 60, 865 participants around the world compared

to Maslows 18 self-actualised personalities to find that despite the basic needs such as

hunger we are much happier with our friends.

Goffman (1956) noted that as humans we are very knowledgeable and active in

deciding how we behave around others, we devise our own conduct and therefore in

order to nurture relations with others we are successful social con artists. According to

Goffman our job is to present ourselves whilst adapting to different social settings in

order to meet society expectations in which we do through a dramaturgical process, an

aspect that may be linked to meeting the drives set out by Argyle.

In terms of dramaturgy, the emphasis of this social psychology has been on the study of

meaningful behaviour (Brissett and Edgley, 1975) and how we attach meaning to things

in order to present ourselves. Goffman described the dramaturgical approach as the

world as a stage, we are all actors with a front and backstage. The front stage, where we

can manipulate the audience to like us and to be accepted is an area where we must act

in order to make sure social interactions run smoothly to ensure we have friends and

relations. The backstage offers an area where we can be ourselves, it is hidden, closed

and we can relax as there is nobody to impress or perform to.

Goffmans theory differs slightly from that of Park (1926) who accepts the idea of a true

self and promotes that we can be who we want to be. This can be highlighted as a

negative trait in Goffmans work and can be accused of being negative towards the

nature of humans and society (Johnson Williams, 1986) as there is little appreciation of

social organisation and structure (Johnson Williams, 1986, pp.359).


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Gouldner (1970) also highlighted that Goffman failed to recognise a theory of social

action that accounts for our ability to change our environments. As well as thinking

about how we present ourselves on Goffmans stage it is also important to think about

how we interact with different types of people in our audience, Berne (1964)

researched thoroughly into the psychology of human relationships to produce the

transactional analysis theory. Berne presented three states of ego as shown in figure 1

to describe how we can change the way we act in terms of a contextualised situation

and transaction, we behave in different ways and play different games in these three

egos which unbalance the traditional structure of human relationships.

Despite changes in how we present ourselves on Goffmans stage it is still clear that we

use ways in which make us more desirable to others, especially when experiencing and

Berne, 1964 (Figure 1)

Adult

Child

Parent

Natural

Supportive

Heart wisdom (growing)

Adaptive

Critical

Head reasoning (knowing)

Rebellious

Adult

Child


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making new connections. Capra (2002) highlighted the role that technology has had on

the process of social transformation in particular when we consider the central

technology of our time as stated by Capra (2002, pp.6) as communication technology

which directly relates to the heart of our human species which is conscious and

meaningful communication. It is argued that the key to this social transformation is

payable to the obtainability of electronic information and communication technologies

that we as a network society can employ and distribute ourselves without historical

parameters of networks as forms of social interaction and organisation (Castells, 2004).

The growth of home computing and accessibility to the internet has ignited a debate on

the nature of social community in order to assess how computer-mediated

communication affects social relationships (Hampton, 2004). Physical distance and

geography now have a less significant role in communications as it is increasingly

possible to seek out social ties based on shared interests rather than a shared place.

Godin (2008) appropriately named this process of finding others with shared interests

as tribes, traditionally originating from those that aim to find part of the status quo

that needs improving. The beauty of these tribes and movements to make change is that

the focus is not using money or power but instead it is about leadership that as

described by Godin only require two factors to be a tribe: a shared interest and a way to

communicate (2008, pp. 1). Technology has given opportunity for communications and

interests to be shared worldwide and therefore these tribes have multiplied allowing a

single person to have hundreds of connections and relationships despite geographical

distance.

Although we learn a lot from our primary connections (strong ties), particularly

emotional support from parents it has been shown with the use of technology and the


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allowance of a huge range of connections that it is the people with whom are the least

connected who offer us the most opportunities (Conley, 2013), these are often

described as weak ties. Our social connections are now resources for social capital,

used as monetary resources offering financial capital in terms of job opportunities and

advertising but most importantly skills that push human capital providing information,

help, services, advice and emotional support.

Choosing technologies for communications may involve mixing strong and weak ties,

these are more obvious on social network sites such as Facebook (2014) where many

connections are made through mutual friends where strong ties can link us to weak

ties (Choi et al, 2010) opening up doors to further social capital features such as dating

and job recommendations; aspects involved in Argyles seven main drives.

Social networks defined as an online place where a user can create a profile and build a

personal network that connects him or help to other uses (Lenhart & Madden, 2007,

pp.1). The freedom and ability to create and build a profile allows for the perfect

blank stage or unwritten play script for Goffmans dramaturgical approach. A user can

decide who their audience is made up of and exactly what they present to them. Turkle

(2011) noted that with the easy accessibility of technological communications such as

social media as much as we can build and create that also gives us the ability to edit and

most specifically delete, removing exactly what we wish our audience not to see.

Described as the dark side of social media (Ahn &Shin, 2013) it has been discussed

that we are beginning to expect more from technology and less from each other, a

dimension of our technological society that is launching a detrimental impact on the

most dedicated users if used in an incorrect or over-excessive way.


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Computer-mediated communication applications include social networks, email and

instant messaging and are used to communicate with unknown people or maintain

previously rooted relationships with existing friends (Gross, 2004). Antheunis et al

(2012) found that one of the key features of friendship is their quality with several

studies demonstrating that online friendships are perceived to be lower in quality than

offline (Mesch & Talmud, 2006, 2007). However research carried out by Chan & Cheng

(2004) found that when online friendships last over a year their quality can become

comparable to offline friendships. As there are so many ways in which we now manage

our interactions with our relations it is important to test the visibility of these

relationships when technology is involved. I will therefore explore if technology makes

the nature of relationships more visible and question:

How do technologically mediated interactions influence the way we learn about our

relationships?


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the clarity and understanding of thought, feeling and behaviour to gain an insight on

ones self (Philips & Silvia, 2011).

Questionnaires have emerged as one of the most popular and widely used tools in data

research over the past three decades (Gao, 2004) particularly due to data resulting in

structured, frequently numerical figures (Cohen et al, 2007) in which the researcher

does not have to remain present resulting in a study that can travel geographically

further than the researcher (Wright, 2006). However, Cohen also highlights that the

researcher should selectively judge the appropriateness of using a questionnaire for

data collection as this may not always be suitable. The research that will be undertaken

may seem to many as sensitive as it deals with personal relationships, something some

may find as an intrusion into private spheres and deep personal experience (Lee &

Renzetti, 1993). The research could be defined as sensitive research as it will take a

biographical and life history route in order to gain honest and true insights into

interactions and relationships we have, a method focusing and exploring on the

perceptions and experiences of particular individuals in society (Sikes, 2006).

In comparison to questionnaires, interviews are able to offer a more in-depth analysis

and questioning on a particular participant (Lambert, 2012). Despite the method being

more time consuming the researcher is able to gain a stronger understanding of the

conversation and answers given, often creating more appropriate data. Although this

may be the case it is important that if interviews are carried out that the researcher has

a true and appropriate relationship with the participant in order to gain the most

correct data, being careful not to manipulate relationships in order to obtain better

data (Sikes, 2006). As highlighted by Lambert (2012) researchers can be easily drawn

into conversation with participants which may result in the loss of a natural stance


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amongst the researcher. This raises the question of subjectivity, validity, reliability and

objectivity which all should be met suitably by the researcher and participants.

In order to learn about the data and to appropriately analyse the findings that offer an

exploration and can create recommendations for future learners Goodson (1981, pp.69)

highlighted that in understanding something so intensely personal as teaching, it is

critical we know about the person the teacher is. Without knowing about ourselves we

are less inclined or may lack in the correct skill set to analyse data about another person.

Auto-biographical studies focus on the data that the researcher collects on their self and

is frequently driven by the particular research question (Tenni et al, 2003).

Despite the study regarding oneself it is important to note that this type of research can

cause many difficulties where more specific problems in data collection and particularly

data analysis will arise in comparison to other methods such as questionnaires or

interviews. Tenni identified the main complexities to this method of research is due to

focus on self and our practice as it requires us to reveal and reveal in the most

authentic way we can. Objectivity is difficult to maintain in any context but is made

particularly more difficult when reflecting on oneself due to the holistic approach that

seeks a description and interpretation of total phenomena (LeCompte & Preissle,

1993).

Autobiographical studies allow us to take an ethnographic approach which is more

concerned with description rather than prediction and subjectivities rather than

objective knowledge (Cohen et al, 2007), as long as a researcher is honest and has a

passion for the research taking place the most natural findings may be found.


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After analysing types of methodology it appears that an autobiographical study will be

undertaken in order to learn about my own relationships to gain a clearer

understanding on how my own interactions are more visible through the use of

technology. These will be within the parameters of contextual situations I personally

understand and can therefore appropriately analyse.


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Method

The method chosen to carry out the research question followed an autobiographical

study where, as the researcher self-generated data was collected. As the researcher and

main participant the method of collection involved the study of my own interactions

and relationships on and offline over a two week (fourteen day) period.

The methods of communication for natural conversations were tracked and defined into

three categories; online, face to face and offline. These categories were used for the

quality of conversation and frequency of those conversations based on research taken

in the pilot study, a sample of data that was taken over a seven day period. Online

conversations involved those that required an internet connection in order to

communicate, for example social networking sites, email and instant messaging

applications.

Despite the autobiographical method it is important to note that due to the social aspect

of the data collection and theory there were also many other participants, those that I

had interactions with during the data research. At the time of research participants

were unaware of the research, both that the research was being carried out and their

unwilling participation in the study. This aspect of the research was necessary in order

to track the most natural and authentic conversations in terms of justified deception.

Due to the ethical features of this study (appendix A) the participants were made aware

of the research once the data had been collected and had been analysed, with the

opportunity to withdraw at any given time. Due to the sensitivity of the research all

names have been changed to ensure anonymity.


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Over the fourteen days, a log was created in order to find patterns in which people I

interacted with the most, what method of communication I used to interact with them

and the basic subject and context of the conversation. The high quality data analysed in

this study was from a diary log of the most significant conversations I had each day, a

conversation that I felt made me feel strongly in a particular way or made me think

more deeply about the relationship I had with the person.


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Figure 3 reveals the topic most appropriate to the conversations over the data research

period involved social plans, particularly arranging social plans emphasising that we are

social in many ways in order to be physically social with others. The topics of

conversation relate to particular events that carried out during the research period (see

appendix B). The increase in online conversations regarding sport were contextualised

to specific sporting events and fixtures which as the main participant I know as I share

views and converse in communication concerning sport online with others who are

involved in similar online sporting communities.

0

2

4

6

8

1012

14

NumberofInteractions

Relationships

Interactions in 14 days

Figure 2 Interactions in 14 days


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Despite results presenting how the communications take place, the topic and

relationships, in order to analyse the impact of technology in specific conversations the

emotions related to specific conversations are key to the data analysis. These individual

logged conversations of significance (appendix C) present the key themes to the

discussion of the research.

0

10

20

3040

50

60

70

NumberofIntera

ctions

Topics of Conversation

Figure 3 Topics of Conversation


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Discussion and Key Findings

The most common theme running through the data analysed from appendix C presents

us with the idea of proximity. The range of relationships offered a wide variety of

geographical distance and raises the argument of whether relationships can be

maintained with a large physical distance between the two parties, a view that Jiang &

Hancock (2013) argued when finding that long distance couples can indeed have a

much stronger relationship than those geographically close. The data in appendix C also

revealed that despite interacting with someone geographically close in distance online

methods may be favoured over face to face conversation (conversation 3). Figure 2 also

presents how many of the interactions (Jessica Rosie) are individuals that I live with

so see on a very regular basis yet interact online as much if not more than having a face

to face conversation.

Technology can mediate our interactions as a means of convenience (Pierce, 2009),

particularly when a relationship has used online applications as a term of

communication from the beginning. This is evident through the research where there is

a comfortable feeling around speaking to those that I live with both online and face to

face as our relationships has always been exposed to the internet in contrast to parental

and older relationships where as children we have learnt the most about those

relationships through face to face interaction before the innovation in communicational

technologies.

Following interaction 1 there was a 200 mile distance between myself and my mother

and despite the context of the conversation resulting in unhappy emotions there was

still a sense of relief in hearing my mothers voice on the telephone with this interaction

demonstrating Bernes (1964) real relationship egos with the parent offering support to


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an adaptive child. The interaction shows that voice in our interactions is particularly

powerful, in this interaction with my mother I describe her voice as comforting, an

aspect historically researched when a mother baby relationship is formed from as early

as the womb (Kisilevsky et al, 2003).

Face to face and telephone interactions allow the participants in the conversation to

reveal certain emotions based on tone and pitch of voice (Cook, 2002), something that

can be easily hidden or disregarded when interacting online. Interaction 8 is an example

of a successful friendship which is maintained online with a large geographical distance

where I as a participant am still offered aspects of face to face and telephone

conversations. The conversation was online using the Skype (Microsoft, 2014) video

calling service, a method of communication with both visual and vocal cues, two cues

suggested by Kock (2005) as effective in building strong relationships with the longer

the interaction, the more positive affect should be as displayed in the cheerful

emotions I recorded feeling after this interaction with an old friend. Unlike traditional

online technologies that remove the social and emotional cues video communication

such as Skype allows us to communicate with others at a geographical distance yet

maintaining the revelation of true emotion and feeling.

Although Skype allows us to interact with visual and vocal cues it is important to look at

the quality of these interactions in comparison to those of face to face in which Dunbar

(2010) deemed to be an important aspect of interactions when a touch is worth a 1,000

words any day. The lack of physical and face to face interactions were visible in many

conversations yet related closely to links made from one interaction to another despite

the participants varying. An example of this is interaction 1 where the emotions felt

during this conversation required face to face interaction in order to gain support which


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was given in interaction 2, however through a different participant, highlighting the

visibility of how our conversations are constantly interlinking with the next

conversation you make, emphasising that we seek different emotional responses and

feelings from different people. The emotions felt in interaction 1 were then exposed but

dealt with in interaction 2 and then again with the original participant in interaction 7

where the emotion of the conversation was soon relief.

It is evident that through instant messaging online there can be mixed messages and

crossed paths due to the lack of social cue, expression and temporal immediacy (Derks

et al, 2008). The lack of these cues presented problems in a relationship as shown in

interaction 14 where I comment without the barrier of distance in internet I would be

surprised as to how much of this conversation would have taken place, the visibility of

this true relationship had been masked during the online conversation. We respond to

facial and physical emotions so if the frustrated emotions I felt during this interaction

had been face to face the conversation would most likely have stopped or the content

changed but because Elliot was unable to see physical emotion and the clear

involvement of cognitive dissonance (1962) and therefore distress as the conversation

continued.

Interaction 5 logs an interaction with a newly formed connection met through a mutual

friend and a social networking site. This interaction and the amount of sporting

conversations in figure 3 emphasise interactions through Godins (2008) idea of tribes

and meeting those with similar interests, where the internet is more equipped to join

people in a larger scale. When evaluating the conversation it was noted that the

interaction felt exciting and interesting with a break from reality, an aspect similarly

described by Berne (1964, pp. 17) that conversations are like pastimes and games


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which are substitutes for the real living of real intimacy. When I was speaking with the

new connection who had little knowledge of my personality and vice versa, I was able to

think carefully about how I was acting, unknowingly picking and choosing phrases in

order to impress similar to Goffmans (1956) dramaturgical theory.

The research findings has revealed, we can learn about our relationships, both on and

offline. The key findings reflect the patterns and evidence that I, as the researcher and

main participant have learnt about, finding the visibility of the most important

relationships in the ways they are formed, maintained and mediated. Key findings

detect that the method of communication is as significant to the quality of an interaction

as it is to the history of the relationship, data raised the ideology that despite having

high quality interactions face to face this is down to the historic interactions of the

relationship, as high quality conversations also had with relations that were built,

maintained and mediated online.

The consistency of method of communication has been highlighted as key to the quality

of interactions with mixed-modes of communication complementing each other to

create relationships that are maintained in a more convenient and interesting way.

Online communications in the data were regarded as a convenience to be used

alongside face to face interactions where the online conversations allow us to also add

images, further knowledge and web page links (interaction 13) which can further

emphasise the interest of a conversation. The personal data has also revealed that I can

be comfortable in relationships that were built and maintained online and therefore the

same deep, thought-provoking contexts that are discussed face to face can also be

discussed in a technologically-mediated relationship built on the grounds of online

space (interaction 10).


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Limitations to the study

Limitations have been acknowledged in this study, particularly within the remits of time

there was available to complete the data research. Despite a seven day pilot study and a

14 day period of data collection this has only represented a small amount of

relationships and interactions that are participated in each day. A longitudinal method

of research would offer the opportunity to track these relationships over a longer

period of time (Lambert, 2012) in order to track the changes inquality of specific

relationships over a longer period of time instead of the quality between friendships

and methods.

Despite the study following my own personal relationships, the majority of qualitative

data was analysed using my emotions in the relationship with little mention of how the

other party in the conversation felt. In reality, the question of relationships has been

analysed in terms of how I learn about my relationships but the same context and

interactions could be perceived completely differently by the other half of the

relationship.

The nature of secrecy and justified deception made the research more difficult to carry

out, particularly in the underestimation before the data was collected to the sheer

quantity of conversations and interactions I participate in each day. Due to the

conditions regarding objectivity and subjectivity the results may represent the difficulty

I found to maintain objectivity as until the data collection was familiar within my daily

routine it was difficult to not naturally analyse each conversation, causing more thought

to the next conversation I would partake in.


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In spite of the limitations and implications to the study the autobiographical method did

make the allowance of learning about my own relationships and I have been able to self-

reflect own my own actions and emotions. As Stern (1999) stated it is important to

learn about ourselves in order to learn about others. Furthermore, with the impact this

study has had on the reflection of different methods of communication within my own

parameters the next step would be to look at relationships on a wider scale, exploring

how others view their online and offline interactions.


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Conclusions

As the findings show those relationships which were made and maintained online grew

in terms of the participants being comfortable with contexts that others would prefer to

handle face to face. These relationships were those that were built online in comparison

to older connections where technology would not have been visible in the early stages

of the relationship. It is seemingly difficult to predict how relationships will look in the

future with the constant increase in technology. Prenskys (2001) idea of digital natives

and immigrants reflects how online built relationships are growing in terms of the

future of children becoming more familiar with making more connections online rather

than off. Care must be taken in technologically mediated relationships as is already

highlighted as an issue where we are expecting more from technology and less from

each other. Turkle (2011) highlighted that the more we interact the online the more we

expect the technologies to do, with research up and coming revolving around technical

touch and robots able to show physical emotion will there be such a need for natural

and face to face relationships? This question is still to be researched however the

quality of face to face relationships found in this study were of quality due to facial

emotion and physical touch and if this can be replicated by technology it may seem that

we will disregard our real and true relationships for those created by technology that

are more convenient, perfected and suited to our relationship and social needs.

The findings and literature related to this study are evident in becoming suitable to

educating oneself about how they perceive their interactions and how different and

sensitive situations are dealt with in different ways when using a variety of

communication methods. This aspect is one that will be particularly useful for my


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professional development and future teaching career where the nature of relationships

between teachers, students and parents are very important to determining a childs

progress in and engagement with school (Kraft & Dougherty, 2012). In order to keep

good natured and appropriate relationships with parents it is important as a

professional to be aware of the lack of social cues and emotional state that could affect

an online interaction which is a growing method of communication used in schools, an

aspect that has become apparent through this research.

Total word count: 5319


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Appendix A Ethical Protocol

Ethical Protocol

How do technologically mediated interactions influence the way we learn about our

relationships? Does technology make the nature of relationships more visible?

Megan Douglas

The University of Plymouth

ETHICS PROTOCOL

The growth and innovation of technology is now leading the lives of many. This raises

the question of how the social psychology behind people and relationships are changingbased on the rise and increased use of social media as a tool for communication.

This study aims

To explore the use of social media as a form of communication and how it

can differ from face to face communication in relationships.

To conduct research regarding perceptions and contrasts between real life

and online identities.

To look toward how technology may affect social and communication skills

on young learners in the future.

To explore the ideology of technologically mediated relationships and how

they compare with relationships made outside of the technological village.

What it will entail

Natural conversation

Pictures and other contextual information to present communication

Voice recordings

Transcripts of conversations

Informed ConsentPermission to include an individual in the project will be checked and given by said

individual once data has been recorded. Attention and care will be taken in order to

ensure that they are fully informed of the purposes and nature of the research.

Participants will be given a copy of the ethics protocol and any questions about the

study will be answered.

Right to Withdraw

All participants will be offered the option for data to be removed and will be able to

withdraw from the study at any time once the data has been collected. Although

participants will not be informed of the study whilst they are participating in it they will

have the right to withdraw their data from the project if they so wish when I informthem at the end of the study.


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Feedback

A summary of the research findings will be available for all participants at the

conclusion of the study by contacting myself (Megan Douglas) using the methods of

contact below.

Anonymity and Confidentiality

Transcripts of the conversations and all other collected data will be kept confidential

and only used for research purposes. Names of those involved in the data will be

changed so their real identities are not revealed. Responsibility for the interpretation of

data remains with me.

Thank you very much for taking part in this research.

If you wish to discuss this study, please contact:

Megan Douglas

BEd Primary Student

University of Plymouth

Email:[email protected]

Alternative email:[email protected]

Steve Wheeler (Supervisor)

University of Plymouth

Email:[email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Appendix B Reflective Transcripts

Reflective Transcripts

Interaction Number: 1

Date: 7thFebruary 2014Name: Mum

Relationship: Mother Daughter

Type of interaction: Phone Call

Duration: 63 minutes (1hr3mins)

Main topic of conversation: Illness within the family

Feelings involved in conversation: Sad, unhappy, guilty

Summary:

This conversation made me feel very emotional in a negative and sad way. My mum was

telling me about how my cousin has suddenly become severely ill and is in hospital,

originally I started to feel a huge amount of sadness and compassion however it soonturned to guilt when I was told she has now also lost her sight. With a one year age gap

in between us I feel very guilty about continuing to live my life as I do, with this gift of

sight, doing everything she will now struggle with considerably in the future. It was

made worse by the fact I am 200 miles away from my mum whom I was having the

conversation with but also because I am that far away from the rest of my family and

there is little in the way I can support them with this distance. I wanted to be able to

comfort my mum in this conversation and have the same treatment and support back.

Despite the distance it was nice to hear my mothers voice.


Date: 8thFebruary 2014

Name: Jack

Relationship: Close friend

Type of interaction: Face to face

Duration: 160 minutes approx. (2hrs)

Main topic of conversation: 7thFeb conversation (family illness)

Feelings involved in conversation: Support, content

Summary:

After my conversation yesterday with my Mum I felt that I should speak to someone elseabout my feelings in the situation with my cousin and her illness. I explained the

situation to Jack and due to our close friendship I was able to be honest about how I

have previously felt guilty about being able to live my life as normal where as my cousin

has so much to adapt to. This conversation went from me expressing my feelings to

being supported and Jack was able to give me advice that I had not even thought about.

It made me think about just how much help you can receive when you share your

thoughts and problems. I think that speaking to someone face to face about the situation

made it a lot easier for Jack to understand my feelings and for appropriate support to be

given back to me. It felt very genuine and real and made for a high quality conversation

and changed how I felt about the situation.


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Name: EmilyRelationship: Close friend/Housemate

Type of interaction: Online (WhatsApp instant message)

Duration: 20 minutes

Main topic of conversation: Romantic relationships

Feelings involved in conversation: Interest

Summary:

A conversation with my housemate over instant message made me really think about

how relationships are formed at university. Despite being under the same roof at the

same time we were instant messaging from separate rooms, it was done in terms of

secrecy and in order to send over appropriate evidence such as screen grabs from the

particular person we were discussing. The conversation made me realise how much wespeak about our relationships with others, seeking advice and using our conversations

to aid other relationships. The conversation could have been face to face but we chose to

have it online for easy accessibility and further features of communications the

application had to offer.



Name: EmilyRelationship: Close friend/Housemate


Duration: 15 minutes (approx.)

Main topic of conversation: Previous conversation/Relationships

Feelings involved in conversation: Supportive

Summary:

Following on from the online conversation with Emily yesterday we spoke about her

relationship situation face to face today, it was really different as the true emotions in

the situation were being displayed rather than through mobile emoticons. I was able to

give advice to Emily knowing her genuine reactions and give her support through mywords but also the simplest of hugs. I am starting to realise that we constantly talk

about our relationships with others, particularly romantic relationships; we seek advice

of others that are seen to have successful relations with others.


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Name: Greg

Relationship: New connection (made online)

Type of interaction: Online (instant message via mobile

application)


Main topic of conversation: Interests

Feelings involved in conversation: Excitement

Summary:

I have only recently met Greg, we met through mutual friends and we all share the same

interest of supporting the same local football club. This afternoon I had a great

conversation with Greg about other interests that we share, I always enjoy meeting

people and finding out about what others do and are interested in. I found thisconversation quite exciting once we found we shared many of the same interests. The

conversation stood out for me amongst others because I have been able to put other

serious conversations to a side and talk about something more interesting and it almost

acted as a break from reality whether this is a good thing or not it was a conversationI enjoyed, mainly because of the informality of it.



Name: Gemma

Relationship: University academic


Duration: 15 mins within 1 hr meeting

Main topic of conversation: University work

Feelings involved in conversation: Pressured, unsure

Summary:

The conversation that stood out the most for me today was a small formal conversation

I had with a university academic in a meeting about the progress of my course. Suddenly

I felt an awful amount of pressure resulting in feelings of uncertainty caused by big

changes. It felt more comforting having a face to face interaction and voicing my views

and worries over an email or telephone conversation. Despite the pressure and

uncertainty those feelings began to disappear as the participants in the meeting were

made to feel more at ease by the end.


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Name: MumRelationship: Mother-Daughter


Duration: 55mins

Main topic of conversation: Family illness

Feelings involved in conversation: Relief

Summary:

I was finally able to speak face to face with my family tonight about my cousins illness,even being around them I could feel a sense of relief. I felt more comfortable and

content speaking to my mum face to face about this kind of serious issue and she was

able to put me at ease, much easier than before whilst over the phone or other messages

online/text.



Name: Katherine

Relationship: Best friend

Type of interaction: Online video call (using Skype)


Main topic of conversation: Catching up/Relationships/LifestyleFeelings involved in conversation: Happiness, Comfort, fulfilment

Summary:

Valentines day today and me and my best friend usually see each other every year, thisyear she is on her year abroad in Europe so instead we skyped. It was great because we

could still have exactly the same catch up conversations we would if we were in front of

each other, we could still see the reactions of each other in a real time and natural way.

It made me feel really comforted and fulfilled after speaking to my best friend, a close

relation however does not require constant attention or communication as catching up

after longer periods of time with a longer duration work for us. Despite the distance it

felt as if we were sitting in the room together and we were still able to have normal

conversations, without boundaries and limits of other people. We spoke about things

we had been doing and as it was valentines day we spoke about our relationships withothers, it was interesting to hear about her most recent relationship that had broken up

due to their physical distance. Having this conversation in the morning changed my

mood for the rest of the day and I was a lot happier and relaxed knowing I had had a

lovely conversation with a friend, it felt like I could take a lot more off my mind after

speaking to her.


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Name: Jessica

Relationship: Close friend/HousemateType of interaction: Face to face

Duration: 12 mins (approx.)

Main topic of conversation: Making plans

Feelings involved in conversation: Excited

Summary:

After a week of a little negativity it was lovely to have a conversation that made me

feeling excited. I spoke to Jessica in order to make plans for my birthday, as well as

excited it made me feel very lucky for what I have and for the friends and families (and

therefore relationships) that a close to me. This conversation originally started using

instant messaging online in a group message to get the ideas from other friends, which

lead to this face to face conversation which I am sure will continue to lead to other

conversations on and offline as more people are involved in the events and celebrations

planned.

Interaction Number: 10Date: 16thFebruary 2014

Name: James

Relationship: Close Friend

Type of interaction: Online (iMessage)

Duration: 34 mins

Main topic of conversation: The future

Feelings involved in conversation: Uncertainty

Summary:

This evening I was speaking to my close friend James who lives 200 miles away, I only

see him when I am back home for short periods from university. Despite theconversation only being brief and online it still involved a formal topic of the future and

job opportunities. Messages started short but gradually got longer with more

meaningful words, words that involved plans but also feelings, how we both felt about

different situations we may be find ourselves in the future. The conversation made me

feel uncertain about what to do in the future and life choices, something that I actually

found comfortable talking about online, this may be because we have always had a very

online friendship and are used to be able to talk about serious topics without the need

to be face to face whereas with others, even those I feel I am closer to it is harder to

have conversations with similar meaning that are not face to face.


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Name: Dad

Relationship: Father-Daughter

Type of interaction: Phone callDuration: 46 mins

Main topic of conversation: Holiday plans

Feelings involved in conversation: Relief, excitement, motivation

Summary:

Today I had a lovely call from my Dad organising a summer holiday. It was a lovely

break from work to be asked if I wanted to join the family on holiday, it also gave me a

huge sense of motivation to complete the work I have been working on and to

successfully my year at university before the summer break. It was also a relief to speak

to my Dad on the phone who has always had a calming voice, something which would

not be relayed as much if this was an email or a text message. Excitement was broughton from the excitement and enthusiasm he had for these plans which positively rubbed

off on me.



Name: Adam (Brother)

Relationship: Brother-Sister (siblings)

Type of interaction: Instant Message (iMessage)

Duration: 16 mins

Main topic of conversation: Memories

Feelings involved in conversation: Reminiscent, joyful

Summary:The conversation that stood out for me most today was the one I had with my younger

brother, it was sparked off by the posting of some photos of us when we were younger

and he messaged me to talk about the old memories we shared whilst growing up. It

made me realise how even though we live a longer distance away from each other now

it is still so easily possible to share those memories from a social network that has

logged a timeline of our relationship as siblings. The conversation would have been

more memorable had it been face to face or on the phone as it was missing expression

however it got me thinking in a pleasant and reminiscent fashion.


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Name: Jack

Relationship: Close friend

Type of interaction: Online (social media chat)

Duration: 19 mins

Main topic of conversation: University work/deadlines

Feelings involved in conversation: Anxiety

Summary:

After speaking to a number of people about university deadlines one conversation with

a close friend Jack made me a little more anxious than usual about forthcoming

deadlines. The conversation stood out because it made me feel more anxious as web

links and other reminders were used in the conversation to emphasis the worry of thework, where as in a face to face conversation this would not be as accessible.


Date: 20th

February 2014Name: Elliot

Relationship: Loosely connected Facebook Friend

Type of interaction: Instant message chat (Facebook)

Duration: 43 mins

Main topic of conversation: Teaching profession

Feelings involved in conversation: Passion, anger

Summary:

Today I had a conversation that made me very frustrated and annoyed. The freedom of

speech seems even freer on the internet, more people to see it and less of a barrier to

remove to say it. I had a conversation with Elliot today about teaching and how he does

not understand how teachers can moan about working hours and pay when we only

work 9-3 and get the whole summer off. It made me frustrated because I know hewould not be as abrupt and vicious to my face, maybe I misjudged the tone through the

blur of my anger for the original comments however it frustrated me that it felt like a

personal attack, especially when he really is little educated on the matter. Despite the

anger I also felt a passion to 1) stick up for myself and 2) give him my own personal

experience of the situation. Without the barrier of distance in internet I would be

surprised as to how much of this conversation would have taken place.


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Appendix C Raw Data & Notes

Face to Face Online Phone Call

Weather 28 47 3

Cooking 16 4 0

University 32 23 3

University Work 41 48 5

Personal Relationships 23 49 2

Social Plans 59 61 13

Cleaning 6 2 0

Family Members 10 13 8

Sport 28 43 6TV 19 15 1

(Table, relating to figure 3 page 13)

Possible reasons for increases in conversation from 7th 20th February 2014:

Weather South West of England hit badly with storming weather, breaking

down travel links and causing damage and debris.

Cooking, Cleaning research data collection undertaken during two weekswhilst living in shared accommodation where cooking and cleaning is arranged

in groups.

Sport research data collection period during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi

Documents

How do technologically mediated interactions influence the way we learn about our relationships?