Initial interactions online-text, online-audio, online-video, or face-to-face: Effects of modality on liking, closeness, and other interpersonal outcomes

In a social interaction study, pairs of unacquainted college students engaged in a two-part get-acquainted interaction. In a first interaction, modality was manipulated and was either: computer mediated communication (CMC)-text, CMC-audio, CMC-video, or face-to-face (FtF). The pairs then engaged in a second interaction, in which all pairs interacted via CMC-video (Skype). After the first interaction, dyads in the CMC-text condition had lower scores on affiliative outcomes (e.g., liking) than the other dyads, particularly compared to dyads in the FtF condition. However, dyads in the CMC-text condition “caught up” in their positive reactions once they had the second interaction, which was conducted via CMC-video. The results of this study have implications for relationships that begin on the Internet, which is becoming increasingly common.