| In this dissertation, I investigate how the usage of collaboration technologies consciously and subconsciously affects both communicators and how they communicate. I present two related studies examining different facets of how the use of collaboration technologies such as email and voicemail influence affective processing in the communicator and the composition or interpretation of communicated messages. The primary goal is to understand how emotional responses and communication are changed by the use of different technologies. Communicating with leaner, less natural technologies such as email are theorized to elicit different positive or negative emotional responses compared to other richer, more natural technologies. I also test whether the use of these technologies changes the creation or perception of communication messages. Along with affective responses and communication outcomes driven by usage of different technologies, I also investigate how individual mood, valence of communication task, tone and content of communication messages, and an individual's trait emotional intelligence interact with the technology to change behavior and emotion. In the first study, I show how the technology differences, mood, emotional intelligence, and the valence of communication tasks influence emotional outcomes in the sender and the messages composed. In the second study, I demonstrate how the technology and message characteristics change the interpretation of messages received. In both studies, I use psychophysiological measures to examine how the technology affects emotional response. The results of the studies presented in this dissertation have implications for researchers examining collaboration technologies as well as practitioners using these technologies to communicate. The studies highlight the theoretical importance of emotional processing in the use collaboration technologies and show how the differences in technology can strongly influence physiological reactions, message creation, and interpretation. Examining cognitive processing during technology use may provide a new lens for understanding the influence of information technology. |
