Channeling Support Across Modalities: The role of modality switching and communication interdependence in shaping supportive outcomes within mixed-media friendships
Restricted (Penn State Only)
- Author:
- Sweeney, Kelly
- Graduate Program:
- Communication Arts and Sciences
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- May 24, 2024
- Committee Members:
- Mary Oliver, Major Field Member
Andrew High, Chair & Dissertation Advisor
Denise Solomon, Major Field Member
S. Shyam Sundar, Outside Unit & Field Member
Kirt Wilson, Program Head/Chair - Keywords:
- Social Support
Modality Switching
Communication Interdependence
Friendships
Mixed-Media Relationships
Cues-filtered-in
Cues-filtered-out - Abstract:
- Social support is a resource that is cultivated over time, often evolving through multiple conversations and across a variety of modalities. As people increasingly adopt new technologies within their relationships, it is crucial to understand how the array of modalities they use affects supportive conversations. Extensive research has been conducted on communication technologies, but there has been relatively little exploration of how social support functions in mixed-media relationships (MMRs) and interactions that span multiple media. This dissertation updates and advances perspectives on MMRs to better understand how processes of supportive communication function across multiple modalities. It illustrates ways that mixed-media frameworks can explain how supportive dynamics are affected when MMRs extend supportive conversations beyond a single modality. Specifically, this dissertation applies the modality switching framework and the communication interdependence perspective (CIP) to the context of supportive communication, examining how changes in the modality of communication influence perceptions of supportive interactions. The term "modality" generally refers to the setting used to communicate (e.g., face-to-face, technology-mediated communication). However, this dissertation offers a more nuanced and thorough definition of modality and modality switching, broadening the scope of the perspective and deepening our understanding of these concepts. In doing so, this dissertation examines how the direction and degree of change of a modality switch influence conversational and supportive outcomes in mixed-media friendships. Arguments posited by cues-filtered-out theories (CFO) and cues-filtered-in theories (CFI) were compared to examine which provided the best explanation for the effects of modality switching on supportive outcomes. Significant findings supported CFO theories, such as social presence theory (Short et al., 1976) and media richness theory (Daft & Lengel, 1986), underscoring their relevance in analyzing the impacts of modality switching. Notably, modality switches that resulted in reductions in communication modes disrupted supportive interactions more significantly than additions in communication modes tended to improve them. This suggests that the effects of modality switching are particularly pronounced when they involve a decrease in the available modes of communication. Additionally, the study applied the CIP in a unique setting, revealing significant insights into the role of modality switches in supportive communication. The findings confirm that integration is an effective strategy in mixed-media interactions that enhances supportive outcomes, whereas difficulties during transitions between modalities tend to impair these outcomes. Effective management of transitions and ensuring smooth changes between modalities can mitigate negative impacts. The significant findings not only confirm the relevance of applying the modality switching framework and communication interdependence perspective to contexts of social support but also open new avenues for further research. Although these results are promising, further research is crucial to fully understand and exploit the potential of modality switching and the CIP in enhancing supportive communication. Ultimately, this study is one of the first to explore the influence of modality switching on supportive interactions between friends. Taken together, the results of this study present important theoretical and pragmatic implications for mixed-media relationships, modality switching, communication interdependence, and supportive communication.