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Presented at the New York State Communication Association’s Annual Conference, October 21-23, 2011, Ellenville, New York.
Citation preview
About Face Threat: An Analysis of Negative Behaviors
in Computer-mediated Communication
Marie L. Radford, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Rutgers University ([email protected])
Jocelyn A. DeAngelis, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor, Rutgers University
Gary P. Radford, Ph.D., Professor, Fairleigh Dickinson University([email protected])
Lynn Silipigni Connaway, Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist, OCLC
New York State Communication AssociationOctober 21-23, 2011
Virtual Reference (VR)
o Web-based chat & instant messaging (IM) CMC reference services
o VR encounters capture full transcript of interaction between reference librarian & user
o VR interactions complex & fraught with possibility of misunderstandings & miscommunications
Interaction Ritual: Essays on Face-to-Face Behavior
Erving Goffman1922-1982
“On Face-Work: An analysis of Ritual Elements in Social Interaction” (1967)
Face-Work “Much of the activity occurring during
an encounter can be understood as an effort on everyone’s part to get through the occasion and all the unanticipated and unintentional events that can cast participants in an undesirable light, without disrupting the relationships of the participants”
(Goffman, 1967, p. 41)
Face Defined• Positive social value person claims
• Self-image in terms of approved social attributes
Face-Work in Encounters
• Face is located in flow of eventso Feelings about face reinforced by
encounterso If better face established – feel goodo If expectations not fulfilled – feel bad or
hurtoNeutral experience – expected, not
memorable
Face Threat = Negative Face-work
Face Threato Communication threatens face of interactants
Typeso Losing Face
• Person caught in embarrassing or damaging position (e.g., in a lie or inappropriate behavior)
o Wrong Face or Out of Face• Experience shame • Possible to maintain confidence, if others cover (e.g.,
one makes faux pas & others pretend not to notice)• Poise is ability to conceal wrong face or out of face
Face-Work in VR
• Goffman provides powerful frame to analyze VR encounters
• Face & face-work appear in flow of transcript (event)
• Analysis identifies instances or lack of face-work
Methodology• Data from Institute of Museum & Library Services Grant of
$684,996
• “Seeking Synchronicity: Evaluating Virtual Reference services from user, non-users, and librarian perspectives”
o Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and OCLC, Online Computer Library Center, Inc.
o Project duration: 2 ½ Years (10/05-3/08)
o 4 phases including transcript analysis
Sample Selection• 850 VR transcripts randomly selected from 479,673
transcripts (8/04-11/06)
• 746 usable transcripts qualitatively analyzed & coded
• 1 transcript selected to illustrate face-threats in VR
• “Physics” - “The Accelerating Bumper Car”Duration: 17 min., 8 sec.
Conclusion• Goffman offers powerful way to gain insights into
VR practice & understanding of interpersonal dynamics in CMC
• Physics transcript analysis reveals, similar to the FtF environment, importance of face-work, e.g., politeness rituals
• Expressions of deference & demeanor (Goffman, 1956), are important to success of VR encounters
Future Research• Many questions involving participant’s perception
of these interactions remain unanswered
• New grant: “Cyber Synergy” (10/11-9/13) for $250K
• Next analyze 500+ transcripts from 2010
• Developing theoretical model based on Goffman
End Notes• This is one of the outcomes from the project
Seeking Synchronicity: Evaluating Virtual Reference Services from User, Non-User, & Librarian Perspectives
• Funded by IMLS, Rutgers University, & OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc.
• Web site: http://www.oclc.org/research/activities/synchronicity/default.htm
Questions & Comments?