TY - JOUR
T1 - Computer-mediated communication and
persuasion: Peripheral vs. central route
to opinion shift
AU - Di Blasio, Paola
AU - Milani, Luca
PY - 2008
Y1 - 2008
N2 - Objective of this research was to investigate the differences between face-to-face communication
and computer-mediated communication regarding opinion change in small group decision-making.
We hypothesized that people in a discussion through computer-mediated communication accede to
cognitive processes that could facilitate resisting the effects of a persuasive message.
Participants were 108 degree students with a mean age of 21.5 (range 19–26): 51 males (mean
age = 21.5) and 57 females (mean age = 21.4).
Subjects had to discuss in a small group (three to five people) an issue given by the experimenter
related to a fictitious reorganization of the university refectory. Subjects were randomly assigned to
two experimental conditions: face-to-face small group discussion and computer-mediated (chat)
small group discussion. At the half-way point in the discussion the experimenter introduced a new
piece of information supplied by an influential source. The piece of information was in contrast
to the prevailing opinion in the group. Results show that there were fewer opinion changes in the
chat condition (subsequent to the introduction of the persuasive message) than in the face-to-face
condition.
According to Petty and Cacioppo’s Elaboration Likelihood Model (1986), we argue that discussion
via computer could possibly activate the central route more easily than discussion face to face.
AB - Objective of this research was to investigate the differences between face-to-face communication
and computer-mediated communication regarding opinion change in small group decision-making.
We hypothesized that people in a discussion through computer-mediated communication accede to
cognitive processes that could facilitate resisting the effects of a persuasive message.
Participants were 108 degree students with a mean age of 21.5 (range 19–26): 51 males (mean
age = 21.5) and 57 females (mean age = 21.4).
Subjects had to discuss in a small group (three to five people) an issue given by the experimenter
related to a fictitious reorganization of the university refectory. Subjects were randomly assigned to
two experimental conditions: face-to-face small group discussion and computer-mediated (chat)
small group discussion. At the half-way point in the discussion the experimenter introduced a new
piece of information supplied by an influential source. The piece of information was in contrast
to the prevailing opinion in the group. Results show that there were fewer opinion changes in the
chat condition (subsequent to the introduction of the persuasive message) than in the face-to-face
condition.
According to Petty and Cacioppo’s Elaboration Likelihood Model (1986), we argue that discussion
via computer could possibly activate the central route more easily than discussion face to face.
KW - computer mediated communication
KW - face to face communication
KW - persuasive communication
KW - computer mediated communication
KW - face to face communication
KW - persuasive communication
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10807/13952
U2 - 10.1016/j.chb.2007.02.011
DO - 10.1016/j.chb.2007.02.011
M3 - Article
SN - 0747-5632
VL - 24
SP - 798
EP - 815
JO - Computers in Human Behavior
JF - Computers in Human Behavior
ER -