5 Blogging for Better Health: Putting the Public Back in Public Health S. SHYAM SUNDAR, HEIDI H... more 5 Blogging for Better Health: Putting the Public Back in Public Health S. SHYAM SUNDAR, HEIDI HATFIELD EDWARDS, YIFENG HU AND CARMEN STAVROSITU Blogs have received a lot of press lately because many members of the press have started blogging. Given the ...
ABSTRACT Customization is generally considered a desirable attribute of media technologies, but i... more ABSTRACT Customization is generally considered a desirable attribute of media technologies, but it also entails the active exercise of choice by the user. Research has shown that constantly making personal choices results in depletion of inner resources required for self-control—a phenomenon known as “ego depletion.” Therefore, we hypothesize a negative effect of customization on self control. But, in doing so, we also consider the possibility that this effect could be mitigated by the affordance of self-expression via customization. So, although making numerous choices could lead to ego-depletion, identity expression could lead to self-affirmation, which is known to counter ego-depletion. The current study explores these two competing effects of customization on one’s inner resources, by way of a three-condition, between-subjects experiment (N = 54), in which one group of participants was instructed to customize their iGoogle portal in a manner that would bolster their self-affirmation and another in a manner that would minimize it, with the third condition serving as a browsing-only control. The results indicate that self-affirmation may compensate for ego depletion, with theoretical implications for the psychology of customization technology and practical implications for design of customization options in media interfaces.
Customization of media technologies enables users to become active sources in the communication p... more Customization of media technologies enables users to become active sources in the communication process. But, does this sense of “self-as-source” alter the way users process information received via customized interfaces? A between-subjects experiment (N = 146) was conducted to answer this question. Data indicate that the effect of self-driven customization (high vs. low self-as-source) on persuasive message processing is mediated by perceived identity. Those who experience high self-as-source tend to process messages less systematically, but perceive the message topic as more important and show greater intention to follow the suggestions of messages than those with a low sense of self-as-source, an effect that is mediated by perceived identity. Theoretical implications for persuasive technologies, dual process models, and the agency model of customization are discussed, followed by practical implications for communicators who wish to incorporate new media technologies into their social influence campaigns.
Customization is everywhere these days, from faceplates on cell phones to background color on com... more Customization is everywhere these days, from faceplates on cell phones to background color on computer desktops to the arrangement of widgets on one's internet start page. What lies behind the tremendous popularity of tailored content? We answer this question with a priming ...
When a Web site image takes a long time to load onto our computer screens, the anticipation durin... more When a Web site image takes a long time to load onto our computer screens, the anticipation during the wait may be physiologically arousing and, in turn, have consequences for our subsequent browsing activity. This study explores such a possibility by investigating the excitatory and ...
Customization is everywhere these days, from faceplates on cell phones to background color on com... more Customization is everywhere these days, from faceplates on cell phones to background color on computer desktops to the arrangement of widgets on one's internet start page. What lies behind the tremendous popularity of tailored content? We answer this question with a priming ...
5 Blogging for Better Health: Putting the Public Back in Public Health S. SHYAM SUNDAR, HEIDI H... more 5 Blogging for Better Health: Putting the Public Back in Public Health S. SHYAM SUNDAR, HEIDI HATFIELD EDWARDS, YIFENG HU AND CARMEN STAVROSITU Blogs have received a lot of press lately because many members of the press have started blogging. Given the ...
ABSTRACT Customization is generally considered a desirable attribute of media technologies, but i... more ABSTRACT Customization is generally considered a desirable attribute of media technologies, but it also entails the active exercise of choice by the user. Research has shown that constantly making personal choices results in depletion of inner resources required for self-control—a phenomenon known as “ego depletion.” Therefore, we hypothesize a negative effect of customization on self control. But, in doing so, we also consider the possibility that this effect could be mitigated by the affordance of self-expression via customization. So, although making numerous choices could lead to ego-depletion, identity expression could lead to self-affirmation, which is known to counter ego-depletion. The current study explores these two competing effects of customization on one’s inner resources, by way of a three-condition, between-subjects experiment (N = 54), in which one group of participants was instructed to customize their iGoogle portal in a manner that would bolster their self-affirmation and another in a manner that would minimize it, with the third condition serving as a browsing-only control. The results indicate that self-affirmation may compensate for ego depletion, with theoretical implications for the psychology of customization technology and practical implications for design of customization options in media interfaces.
Customization of media technologies enables users to become active sources in the communication p... more Customization of media technologies enables users to become active sources in the communication process. But, does this sense of “self-as-source” alter the way users process information received via customized interfaces? A between-subjects experiment (N = 146) was conducted to answer this question. Data indicate that the effect of self-driven customization (high vs. low self-as-source) on persuasive message processing is mediated by perceived identity. Those who experience high self-as-source tend to process messages less systematically, but perceive the message topic as more important and show greater intention to follow the suggestions of messages than those with a low sense of self-as-source, an effect that is mediated by perceived identity. Theoretical implications for persuasive technologies, dual process models, and the agency model of customization are discussed, followed by practical implications for communicators who wish to incorporate new media technologies into their social influence campaigns.
Customization is everywhere these days, from faceplates on cell phones to background color on com... more Customization is everywhere these days, from faceplates on cell phones to background color on computer desktops to the arrangement of widgets on one's internet start page. What lies behind the tremendous popularity of tailored content? We answer this question with a priming ...
When a Web site image takes a long time to load onto our computer screens, the anticipation durin... more When a Web site image takes a long time to load onto our computer screens, the anticipation during the wait may be physiologically arousing and, in turn, have consequences for our subsequent browsing activity. This study explores such a possibility by investigating the excitatory and ...
Customization is everywhere these days, from faceplates on cell phones to background color on com... more Customization is everywhere these days, from faceplates on cell phones to background color on computer desktops to the arrangement of widgets on one's internet start page. What lies behind the tremendous popularity of tailored content? We answer this question with a priming ...
While most experiments with animation investigate its impact on learning, this study explores per... more While most experiments with animation investigate its impact on learning, this study explores perceptual effects of using animation in instructional material. In a between-subjects experiment, subjects (N = 32) were randomly assigned to two conditions: animated and static. They read a distance-education lesson on the Web that was identical in content, layout and presentation, except the manner in which the graphic in the lesson was presented (it was static in one condition and dynamic in the other). Results indicated that animation was associated with significantly more positive evaluation of content (perception). Subjects in the animated condition seemed more satisfied with the lesson compared to their counterparts in the static condition. Those exposed to animation perceived the lesson as less complicated and expressed less need for format change than their counterparts in the static condition. However, there were no significant differences in memory for content as a function of the presence of animation.
This betwen-subjects experiment was designed to examine the impact of physical distance on affect... more This betwen-subjects experiment was designed to examine the impact of physical distance on affect and cognition in a distance education situation. Participants were 48 undergraduate students enrolled in communications classes .All subjects were exposed to identical instructional material, but half of the students were told that the material was prepared by a distance learning institution located nearby (20 or 20 miles away), while the other half were told that the institution was located far away
(20or50milesaway). Results showed that subjects in the near condition felt that the material was significantly clearer, more appropriate, and less in need of cosmetic improvement than their counterparts in the far condition. However, there were no differences in memory for content as a function of physical distance. (Author/AEF)
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Papers by S. Shyam Sundar
(20or50milesaway). Results showed that subjects in the near condition felt that the material was significantly clearer, more appropriate, and less in need of cosmetic improvement than their counterparts in the far condition. However, there were no differences in memory for content as a function of physical distance. (Author/AEF)