| Computer mediated communication (CMC) and distance collaboration have been studied extensively in the last 20 years, due to the dramatic benefits that having functional systems for distance collaboration could provide. While there have been vast theoretical and pragmatic advances in this field, significant questions still remain about what makes for a successful distance collaboration. Particularly in the field of design, which is often a merging of artistic and technical work, CMC tools have largely failed to create an environment that is as enjoyable and productive to designers as face-to-face team work. This dissertation consists of two studies. Through an experimental design involving 60 participants, this research examines the role that empathy and psychological constructs related to empathy may play in the experiences of designers working at a distance. Findings show that in fact empathy does matter, and may affect both the enjoyment of the experience and the efficiency with which the designers work. An additional survey-based study involving over 700 respondents focuses on the construct of empathy itself, how it is measured, and its relationship to the construct of self-monitoring. Results show that self-monitoring is a cognitive (as opposed to affective) behavior that may derive from predisposition to empathic behavior. Together these two studies show a link between empathy, empathic constructs, and the outcomes of computer mediated distance design collaborations, and also deepen the understanding of what these psychological constructs mean and how they function together. |
