Uncovering Hidden Media Framings in Generic Communication Competence Assessments

Is the Face-To-Face Context the Default Framing

Bibliographic Data

ID12971286
AuthorsJulian Schulze (0000-0001-8420-493X, Freie Universität Berlin, corresponding author), Nomi Reznik (0000-0001-7294-5431, Freie Universität Berlin), Stefan Krumm (0000-0002-0840-0864, Freie Universität Berlin), Ana Akhrakhadze, Stephen G West (Arizona State University)
Year2023
Volume18
Issue3
Pages219-248
Publication date2023-05-12
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueCommunication Methods and Measures (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1931-2458 • E-ISSN: 1931-2466
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/19312458.2023.2209833
OpenAlexW4376279021
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited79

Dispositional communication competencies can be assessed in (a) a generic form that does not include any reference to a particular medium of interaction or in (b) a communication medium-specific version. To date, little is known about the specific media that individuals use as a reference and the weights they assign to them when responding to generic communication items – an important research gap because the use of diverse communication media has risen considerably during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on media theories, two hypotheses were derived: Generic ratings contain a “hidden” face-to-face (FtF) communication framing that is dominant in the cognitive processing (media naturalness perspective) versus media are equally weighted in the mental aggregate of respondents (adaptation perspective). According to a preregistered study plan, generic and medium-specific communication items were assessed to investigate these hypotheses (referencing FtF, videoconferencing, chat, and e-mail interaction contexts). Training (n = 200) and test (n = 389) datasets were analyzed using latent variable modeling. Results indicated that generic ratings have a strong hidden FtF framing. These hidden framings impact the predictive power of the competencies to explain communication criteria (i.e. communication satisfaction). Exploratory analyses indicated that individual differences in media experience may affect the framings

Competence (human resources · Framing (construction · Framing effect · Interpersonal communication · Persuasion · Salient · Communication in Education and Healthcare · Computer Science · Psychology · Public Relations and Crisis Communication · Social Psychology · Team Dynamics and Performance · Artificial Intelligence