For me, the beauty of the Internet has always been how differences in both latitude and longitude (figurative and literally speaking) are so easily bridged across the broad spectrum of communication technologies we have today. In fact, some relationships that might have been harder to develop in face-to-face contexts are more easily developed online. In this post, I will be looking at the Social Information Processing theory.
Sparsely related to social learning and attribution theories, Social Information Processing theory (SIP) focuses mainly on the cognitive cues that each individual inherently possess from their own personal experiences, and how they react to stimulus from their environment and other people they meet. Simply put - in our online context, people actively seek out and interpret cues online like they would in normal face-to-face communication; instead of taking normal smiles and open hand gestures as cues, we are now instead, looking at things like emoticons from which to take our cues.
One of the biggest things I've been against is the idea of developing relationships online. Funny then, that I actually got to meet my girlfriend online, while studying in UB in Spring. Worse; she was back in Singapore, while I was stuck here in winter wonderland. The odd thing was, we talked alot more online then we did when in person (prior to being together, I'd met her in person a total of 3 times). For us, the words came out alot easier when we were on our MSN windows than when we standing in front of each other. I still fondly remember the nights when we'd both be laughing over jokes we'd make and the things we'd talk about - and then tell each other we were laughing by sending smilies and various other emoticons over.
I definitely felt the effects of the SIP theory while we were both dating online. Every time we talked, we delved deeper into actual conversation, rather than getting distracted by the more cumbersome physical things that would normally detract from the start of a relationship. We were able to just concentrate on really getting to know each other night after night - all this while we'd just be taking cues from each other on how next to proceed. She was able to read into my intentions more clearly over the Internet because it was more transparent and open than face-to-face communication.
On another note, I was also glad to know that because this online communication was limited to just text and the occasional emoticon, there was a much lower chance of there being unintentional miscommunications - something that was likely to have happened with non-verbal cues. Instead, we were able to clarify with each other what exactly we wanted and hoped to get out of this relationship.
So that's my story, my online romance. I'm glad to say, cheesy as it is, that we're still going strong, despite having started on something as cliche as the Internet and MSN. But honestly? Now that we're together? I'd pick face-to-face communication, any day.
Psychiatry Health SE. (2005) Social-Information-Processing Theory. Retrieved Oct 4th, 2009, from http://psychiatry.healthse.com/psy/more/general_developmental_theories_social_information_processing_theory/
Sohail, K. (2006) Internet Relationships - Blessing or Curse?. Retrieved Oct 4th, 2009, from http://www.chowk.com/articles/10388
Monday, October 5, 2009
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