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Enhancing Mutual Understanding in Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication by Training

Trade-Offs in Judgmental Tasks

Margarete Boos

Georg-Elias-Müller-Institute of Psychology, University of Göttingen, Germany

Ineffective use of text-based synchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC), that is, chats, may affect the quality of communicative exchange compared to effective use and to face-to-face (FtF) communication. Especially in groups making decisions in equivocal judgmental tasks, inappropriate use of the CMC medium often impairs performance. Users need high communication and media competencies to overcome the negative effects brought about by the technology. Without intervention, mutual understanding and satisfaction with the group process are reduced in computer-mediated decision groups. Training that helps participants adapt to the medium should provide them with the needed competencies. The authors found a complex pattern of process and outcome effects with the best performance scores in the FtF condition, performance scores in CMC with training approximating those of the FtF condition, and lowest performance scores in CMC without training.

Key Words: decision making • computer-mediated communication • mutual understanding • conversational coherence • training

Communication Research, Vol. 30, No. 2, 147-177 (2003)
DOI: 10.1177/0093650202250874


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