Constraints on message size in quasi-synchronous computer mediated communication: Effect on self-concept accessibility

Anonymity is often regarded as a variable of great importance in research on computer mediated communication. However, this view might neglect the role played by the design of the user-interface. The current study attempted to show the effects of manipulation of the user-interface in terms of quantitative aspects of communication and self-concept accessibility. The manipulation consisted of varying the number of characters available to interlocutors in two conditions. It was predicted that different designs will not only influence communication quantitatively, but also to what degree participants are able to introspect and strategically plan communication in a self-presentation task. The design that allowed elaborate composition of a message during communication was expected to lead to more strategic self-presentation, thus increasing availability of the “actual self”. Two experiments were conducted. The results show that constraints on communication are associated with predictable quantitative effects, among them higher turntaking. Also, accessibility of the actual self appears to be associated with less interactive and involving interfaces. The results are discussed with regards to the Social Identity Model of Deindividuation Effects, as well as the differences between writing and speech.