There is Something I Need to Tell You: Balancing Appropriateness and Efficiency in Modality Choice for Interpersonal Disclosures

An array of communication technology, such as text messaging, social networking sites, and mobile apps, have become the platforms through which many self-disclosures take place. This brings forth questions about which factors determine media selection for self-disclosure, such as media appropriatene...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Communication studies 2018-03, Vol.69 (2), p.125-144
Main Authors: Oeldorf-Hirsch, Anne, Nowak, Kristine L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Communication Technology
Efficiency
Interpersonal communication
Media Appropriateness
Media Choice
Media Efficiency
Self-Disclosure
Text messaging
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Summary:An array of communication technology, such as text messaging, social networking sites, and mobile apps, have become the platforms through which many self-disclosures take place. This brings forth questions about which factors determine media selection for self-disclosure, such as media appropriateness and efficiency. Survey participants (N = 598) indicated modality preferences for disclosing hypothetical negative, positive, private, and public scenarios to a friend. For positive or public disclosures, modalities considered most convenient were more likely to be chosen; for negative or private disclosures, participants were more likely to select modalities that were considered most appropriate. Results also show a discrepancy between perceptions of appropriateness and motivations for media selection. These findings present implications for the balance between media appropriateness and efficiency in self-disclosure strategies.
ISSN:1051-0974
1745-1035
DOI:10.1080/10510974.2017.1417878