Social information processing theory (SIP)

Social information processing theory (SIP) was introduced in 1992 by Dr. Joseph Walther. At the time that he introduced the theory, Walther was an assistant professor in the Communications Department at the University of Oklahoma. SIP theory focuses on how people get to know each other and how relationships develop when the method of communication is via computer-mediated communication (CMC), i.e., email, instant messaging, text messaging, etc. This form of communication eliminates nonverbal cues, which help people make judgments about each other and provide social information about who the person is and what he or she feels. Because only verbal cues are available, people look for clues in the language that is in the message and adapt their social and emotional expressions based on that. The absence of nonverbal cues causes identification and relationship development to take place more slowly. However, a strong relationship can ultimately develop between those communicating exclusively via CMC.

Background

While the Internet was not available to mass audiences until the mid-1990s, there were CMC-like communications going on at high-tech businesses and universities prior to that. Therefore, the question of how computer-mediated communication would influence relationships and communication did not begin with Dr. Walther and SIP theory.

Early researchers felt that the lack of nonverbal cues would make CMC devoid of social and interpersonal meaning or fulfillment. Some felt that CMC would dehumanize its users. These concerns were based on research on nonverbal communication. This research indicated that the great majority of emotional expression was dependent upon the giving and receiving of nonverbal cues. Therefore, CMC would lack socioemotional messaging—expressing charisma, humor, agreement—and expression. This is considered vital for individuals to engage in effective and satisfying conversation. Due to all of these issues, some theorists believed that CMC's lack of warmth would cause users to grow antagonistic and hostile toward each other and impede the development of interpersonal relationships.

Despite these dire predictions regarding CMC, those who were engaging in the communication were not experiencing such issues. Anecdotes were shared about friendships and romances even formed via CMC, and employees using CMC were engaging in play as much as work. SIP theory overturned much of the early research and theory regarding CMC and was more in line with the anecdotes.

SIP theory addresses how CMC uses could overcome the lack of nonverbal clues and lead to an exchange of messages that are sufficiently personal. There are also some advantages to CMC as there is flexibility in communicating using language only. SIP theory was the first to predict and explain about the relational potential of such communication. SIP theory detailed a new series of assumptions regarding what people do when communicating through various channels as well as how they respond when nonverbal cues are removed due to CMC. The theory strives to explain how, with time, those who communicate via CMC accumulate impressions and relations with those they are in communication with, achieving a level of intimacy that is equivalent to that acquired through more traditional means of communication.

Overview

After SIP theory was first established, the number of communications via CMC grew rapidly, and the theory proved to be accurate. Over time, CMC provides the same amount of opportunities for positive personal relationships as does face-to-face communication. This is because people are naturally motivated to become friends with one another. Therefore, they develop skills to decode textual cues over time that enable them to form interpersonal impressions. Users develop strategies to attain knowledge within the confines of CMC. Meeting face-to-face can be a detriment if one has been part of an online group for a long time, as realistic images may lessen affection.

It has been found that the limitations that come with CMC can be annulled over time, and it can be equated with communication that is done face-to-face. SIP theory proposes that to form the same bond via CMC would take four times the amount of time as face-to-face communication. When communicating via CMC, individuals look for hints in the writing to help them form a character sketch. The sketch is created via interpretations of the other person's writing style, sense of humor, reply frequency, word choice, and level of formality in language.

Some recent research has discovered ways in which CMC actually enhances intimacy among users. The lives of youth and adolescents can be improved by CMC by strengthening their communication abilities, assisting them in growing their interpersonal relationships, aiding them in their quest for information, and providing peer support related to health and mental issues.

It has been shown that relationships can be formed via CMC; in fact, it has become clear that some people prefer this sort of communication. Uncertainty can be reduced through CMC, and people feel less inhibited to say things than they would feel saying them through face-to-face communication. Social media is a type of CMC, and it is ubiquitous. In 2024, Facebook had over three billion active users, X (formerly Twitter) had more than 330 million users, and Instagram had 2.4 billion users.

Relationships of all sorts are regularly forged via CMC types of communication. Even romantic relationships can be formed through CMC. A study released by the University of Chicago in 2013 indicated that between 2005 and 2012, more than one-third of marriages in the United States resulted from online dating. In 2022, a Pew Research Center survey reported one in ten partnered adults had met their partner on a dating site. In a 2014 interview, Dr. Walther said some people believe communicating via CMC is the greatest way to meet people as there is little risk, and concern is about the mind and not the appearance. He noted, however, that the communication style also has drawbacks, including the inability to tell what people are really like and that people can lie and make up false identities online.

Bibliography

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