Intrapersonal Communication & CMC

Intrapersonal Computer-Mediated Communication

• Intrapersonal communication is communication with oneself, often in the form of self-talk.
• Online tools are often used for intrapersonal communication, such as journaling, calendar appointments, and reminders.
• Individuals often engage in "imagined interactions" before interpersonal events, mentally rehearsing and preparing for the interaction.
• Intrapersonal communication can be explicit, like self-talk, or implicit, like internal thoughts.
• Intrapersonal communication is the process of communication with oneself, encoding and decoding internal messages.
• Individuals use online methods for self-reflection on daily events, including blogs with the sender as the intended audience.

Objectives

• Articulate intrapersonal communication as a form of self-talk.
• Categorize personal identifiability along a continuum, including the effects of various degrees of identifiability on communication behaviors.
• Discuss online-as-identity perceived by the individual and communication partners, and how multiple identities can coexist and be strategically presented.
• Understand how self-presentation online can influence offline self-perception and attitudes.

Introduction

• People use online tools to record and reflect on daily events.
• Most blogs are primarily written with the sender as the intended audience.
• Computer-mediated communication (CMC) allows communication with others in broad social networks and also with oneself.
• Examples of intrapersonal uses of CMC include calendar appointments, reminders, class projects, and personal messages.

Intrapersonal Communication

• This refers to communication with oneself.
• It may be explicit, like vocalized thoughts (self-talk), or implicit, like internal thoughts.

Imagined Interactions

• Individuals rehearse and prepare for interactions by imagining and mentally scripting how they expect the interaction to play out.

Intrapersonal communication

• Even communicative acts that seem social can have strong intrapersonal elements.
• Intrapersonal communication involves the use of language to communicate with or about oneself, including self-talk, visualization, and imagination.

Identifiability

• Identifiability is a continuum ranging from identifiable (knowing the communicator) to anonymous (unknown).
• Identifiability refers to the ability of communicators to determine who the sender is.

Implications of Identifiability in CMC

• Identifiability helps individuals understand whom they are connecting with, craft messages based on the communication partner, and present themselves in a desired way.
• Knowing the communicator can lead to communication patterns similar to offline interactions.
• Individuals can be more mindful of how they communicate with whom, due to their identities.

Pseudonymity

• Pseudonymity involves using a false name or identity.
• This allows for fictitious alternative identities distinct from offline identities.
• Pseudonymity can provide opportunities for individuals to experiment with online identities or try out parts of themselves they might not be comfortable sharing with others.
• Pseudonymity can sometimes reduce concerns of consequences for actions, and the individuals can thus act more freely.

Implications of Pseudonymity in CMC

• Using pseudonyms can provide unique opportunities for online interactions, including identity experiments.
• Individuals may use chat rooms and social media as relatively safe places to explore different aspects of themselves.
• Users may not feel pressure to adhere to specific expectations associated with their offline identity.

Online Identity - Dimensions of Yourself

• Three self domains are essential to intrapersonal communication.
• The actual self, the ideal self, and the ought self.
• Dissonance amongst these three types of self can lead to negative feelings and negative outcomes.

Three domains of the self

• The actual self represents a person's physical, and psychological attributes and how the user believes he/she is in the present.
• The ideal self represents the attributes that someone would like to have and what the user strives to be and become.
• The ought self represents attributes that someone believes they should have and the attributes perceived by others in a given context.

Identity Shift

• Identity shift is the transformation of the self occurring when an individual makes claims about her/himself.
• A shift occurs when individuals make statements/claims and subsequently experience changes in their self consistent with the presented attributes.

Self-Presentation

• Identity shift is grounded in selective self-presentation, a component of the hyperpersonal model. In mediated interactions, individuals may choose to present selectively different aspects of themselves.

Virtual Reality

• VR refers to computer-generated, digitally created spaces people can access by wearing special equipment.
• VR often involves immersive experiences using visual, audio, touch, smell, and taste sensations.

Immersion

• VR provides a unique environment allowing individuals to interact with others, reflect upon their selves intrapersonally, and change or develop their concept of self.

Proteus Effect

• The Proteus effect describes changes in self-behavior and perceptions based on changes in a person's self-representation.
• Proteus effect occurs when individuals alter their behavior, thoughts, or actions online as a result of changing how they visualize themselves.

Critical to the Proteus effect

• Embodiment refers to the user taking actions and experiences through digital representations of their physical self, thus enabling them to take on the perception of their avatar.
• Individuals must connect with their avatar to demonstrate that their avatar's actions or appearances reflect their own.

Augmented Reality

• This refers to digital tools that influence how humans perceive and interact with the real world by displaying computer-generated information that seems to coexist with the real world.
• Augmented reality permits personal experiences that otherwise would be limited due to safety or practicality.

Anonymity

• Anonymity in online communication means the sender is unknown or unspecified.
• This can affect communication behaviors and communication patterns.

Self-Anonymity

• The sender perceives themself as anonymous to the receiver.

Other-Anonymity

• Receivers cannot distinguish the sender.

Physical Anonymity

• The message's physical presence doesn't reveal the sender.

Discursive Anonymity

• The sender is not identifiable from the content of their communication.

Implications of Anonymity in CMC

• Anonymity may increase the disinhibition effect, leading communicators to convey unwelcome messages more freely.
• Anonymous postings may result in more uncivil discussions, and conversely, identifiable discussions tend to be more civil.

Note: Some of these headings are adapted from slide headings rather than explicit topics from the slides.

Explore intrapersonal communication in computer-mediated contexts. Understand its differences, the Proteus effect, and its role in personal reflection. Investigate how technology shapes self-perception and internal dialogues.