Multitasking on social networks: Role of culture, status, and group membership in computer-mediated communication

To test the applicability of cultural psychology in the context of synchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC), two experimental studies were run to examine cross-cultural similarities and differences between Indians and Anglo Americans. Study I was a 2 x 2 x 2 between-subjects design with the independent variables culture of the participants (Indians vs. Anglo Americans), multitasking (overt vs. no overt manifestation), and status of the partner relative to the participant (higher vs. lower). Study II was a 2 x 2 x 2 between-subjects study with the independent variables culture of the participant (Indian vs. Anglo American), multitasking (partner multitasks vs. partner does not multitask), and group membership (partner belongs to ingroup vs. outgroup). Gender was included as a fourth variable in both the studies for statistical analyses. In both the studies, there was a main effect for culture of the participant and multitasking by the partner. Participants rated the partner, self-performance, and the overall interaction as being more favorable when the partner did not overtly multitask than when he overtly multitasked. Indians rated the partner, self-performance, and the overall interaction more positively compared to Anglo Americans. In Study I, participants rated both the partner and self-performance more favorably when they interacted with a higher status partner than when they interacted with a lower status partner.; In Study II, participants who interacted with ingroup partner that did not overtly multitask, rated the overall interaction as being significantly more positive compared to participants who interacted with ingroup and outgroup partners that multitasked. Men who interacted with an ingroup partner rated self-performance significantly more favorably than men who interacted with an outgroup partner. In Study II, American men and women who interacted with partner that did not overtly multitask, and Indian men and women who interacted with partner that overtly multitasked or did not overtly multitask, evaluated the partner significantly more favorably than American men who interacted with partner that overtly multitasked. Indian men who interacted with partner that did not overtly multitask, rated the partner more favorably than American women who interacted with partner that overtly multitasked.