Videoconferencing in the field: A heuristic processing model

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Ferran, Carlos; Watts, Stephanie
• 署名单位: Pennsylvania Commonwealth System of Higher Education (PCSHE); Pennsylvania State University; Boston University
• 刊物名称: MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0025-1909
• DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.1080.0879
• 发表日期: 2008
• 页码: 1565-1578
• 关键词: computer-mediated communications; videoconferencing; cognitive workload; heuristic systematic model

摘要

This research uses dual-process cognitive theory to describe how people process information differently when it is delivered via videoconference rather than when it is delivered face-to-face. According to this theory, relative to face-to-face communication, people in videoconferences tend to be more influenced by heuristic cues-such as how likeable they perceive the speaker to be-than by the quality of the arguments presented by the speaker. This is due to the higher cognitive demands that videoconferencing places on participants. We report on a field study of medical professionals in which we found differences in information processing as predicted: participants attending a seminar via videoconference were more influenced by the likeability of the speaker than by the quality of the arguments presented, whereas the opposite pattern was true for participants attending in-person. We also found that differences in cognitive load explain these effects. The discussion on the theoretical model and associated findings explains why prior videoconference studies have not consistently found main effects for media. The findings also show that videoconferencing is not like face-to-face communication, despite apparent similarities.