Restrictions in the communication channel and influence representation in taking up decisions

Abstract

Computer mediated communication had a high social impact in the last decade. The psychosocial effects of the use of these technological media on human communication are observed with growing interest. This work reports the differences of influence perception during the collaborative making decision task when varying the communicational channel restrictions (Face To Face or computer mediated). The design included a hundred students in both task conditions on a multiple decision problem. The outcomes show a great differences in how individuals remarks different aspects for the representational construction of the influence in each modality. These results suggest that the amount of social presence is modulated by the channel restrictions, which make it difficult and even constrain, the perception of the social mechanisms of influence that allow the adjusted influence of a representational construction to the real interchanges around the group product goal.

Influence representation; Computer mediated communication; Face to face; Make decision