fpsyg-11-611670

Citation and Overview

• Title: Is Technology Enhancing or Hindering Interpersonal Communication? A Framework and Preliminary Results to Examine the Relationship Between Technology Use and Nonverbal Decoding Skill

• Authors: Mollie A. Ruben, Morgan D. Stosic, Jessica Correale, Danielle Blanch-Hartigan

• Published: 15 January 2021 in Frontiers in Psychology

• DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.611670

• Research Focus: Investigates the impact of technology on interpersonal communication and nonverbal decoding skills.

Introduction

• Current Context: Increased daily technology interactions (350 million Facebook photos, 500 million tweets, 26 billion texts per day by Americans in 2020).

• Research Gap: Limited empirical studies on how technology affects communication skills, especially nonverbal cues.

• Research Questions: Does technology use enhance or hinder nonverbal decoding skills?

• Importance of Nonverbal Decoding: Critical for social interactions and linked to interpersonal outcomes.

Competing Theories

Theory 1: Enhancement of Nonverbal Decoding Skills

• Active Technology Use:

  • Engaging (posting, responding) could improve decoding skills by providing more nonverbal cues to process.

  • Feedback from digital interactions aids in skill development.

• Examples and Support:

  • Liberated Relationship Perspective: Technology allows shy individuals to communicate, enhancing opportunities for practice.

  • Internet Enhanced Self-Disclosure Hypothesis: Facilitates personal disclosure online leading to practice in interpreting emotional cues.

Theory 2: Hinderance of Nonverbal Decoding Skills

• The Risk of Over-Reliance on Technology:

  • Results in fewer face-to-face interactions, diminishing practice in reading nonverbal cues.

  • Reduction Hypothesis: Indicates decreased social engage affects well-being and connection.

  • Cues-Filtered-Out Theory: Many nonverbal cues are absent in tech-mediated communication, which may impair skills.

Research Methodology

Studies Overview

• Study 1: 410 participants at the University of Maine surveyed about technology use and nonverbal decoding skills.

• Study 2: 190 participants served as a replication study for Study 1.

• Measures:

  • Technology Use: Screen time (objective measurement), active vs. passive use (self-reported).

  • Nonverbal Decoding Skill: Measured via the Diagnostic Analysis of Nonverbal Accuracy (DANVA-2AF) and Workplace Interpersonal Perception Skill (WIPS) assessments.

Results and Findings

• Study 1 Findings:

  • No significant relationship between global screen time and decoding skill.

  • Active use correlated with higher self-reported nonverbal decoding skill but lower objective measures.

  • Passive users had better performance on decoding tasks without better self-reporting.

• Study 2 Replication and Results:

  • Confirmed Study 1’s patterns. Passive users performed better; active users reported feeling more skilled but underperformed on tests.

Mini Meta-Analysis

• Combined results from both studies reinforced that:

  • Active use leads to inflated self-assessment of skills and poorer real performance.

  • Passive use corresponds with higher accuracy in decoding nonverbal signals.

Discussion

• Understanding Technology's Dual Role:

  • Both enhancing and hindering effects noted for communication skills based on how technology is utilized.

  • Passive observation (reading/looking without posting) appears to improve skills.

  • Active usage focused on self-presentation detracts from learning to read and interpret others.

• Implications:

  • Findings suggest interventions to promote passive technology engagement to improve communication skills.

Future Research Recommendations

• Investigate effects across various forms of technology and communication settings.

• Employ experimental designs to discern causality between technology use and decoding skills.

• Explore diverse demographic groups and contexts to improve generalizability.

• Direct comparisons among varying technological platforms (social media, video calls, etc.) to better understand individual impacts on nonverbal skills.