This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Jones, Q. Articles by Rafaeli, S. Search for Related Content

Information Overload and the Message Dynamics of Online Interaction Spaces: A Theoretical Model and Empirical Exploration

Department of Information Systems, College of Computing Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, University Heights, Newark, New Jersey 07102
Center for the Study of the Information Society, Graduate School of Business Administration, University of Haifa, Mt. Carmel, Haifa 31905, Israel
Center for the Study of the Information Society, Graduate School of Business Administration, University of Haifa, Mt. Carmel, Haifa 31905, Israel
qgjones{at}acm.org
gilad{at}ravid.org
sheizaf{at}rafaeli.net

Online spaces that enable shared public interpersonal communications are of significant social, organizational, and economic importance. In this paper, a theoretical model and associated unobtrusive method are proposed for researching the relationship between online spaces and the behavior they host. The model focuses on the collective impact that individual information-overload coping strategies have on the dynamics of open, interactive public online group discourse. Empirical research was undertaken to assess the validity of both the method and the model, based on the analysis of over 2.65 million postings to 600 Usenet newsgroups over a 6-month period. Our findings support the assertion that individual strategies for coping with "information overload" have an observable impact on large-scale online group discourse. Evidence was found for the hypotheses that: (1) users are more likely to respond to simpler messages in overloaded mass interaction; (2) users are more likely to end active participation as the overloading of mass interaction increases; and (3) users are more likely to generate simpler responses as the overloading of mass interaction grows.

The theoretical model outlined offers insight into aspects of computer-mediated communication tool usability, technology design, and provides a road map for future empirical research.

Key Words: human-computer interaction; computer-mediated communication; computer supported cooperative work; virtual community; information overload; interaction coping strategies; message dynamics; online group discourse
accepted: March 7, 2002.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				O. Hinz and M. Spann The Impact of Information Diffusion on Bidding Behavior in Secret Reserve Price Auctions Information Systems Research, September 1, 2008; 19(3): 351 - 368. [Abstract] [PDF]

				W. Oh and S. Jeon Membership Herding and Network Stability in the Open Source Community: The Ising Perspective Management Science, July 1, 2007; 53(7): 1086 - 1101. [Abstract] [PDF]

				Yuqing Ren, R. Kraut, and S. Kiesler Applying Common Identity and Bond Theory to Design of Online Communities Organization Studies, March 1, 2007; 28(3): 377 - 408. [Abstract] [PDF]

				B. Gu, P. Konana, B. Rajagopalan, and H.-W. M. Chen Competition Among Virtual Communities and User Valuation: The Case of Investing-Related Communities Information Systems Research, March 1, 2007; 18(1): 68 - 85. [Abstract] [PDF]

				G. Kuk Strategic Interaction and Knowledge Sharing in the KDE Developer Mailing List Management Science, July 1, 2006; 52(7): 1031 - 1042. [Abstract] [PDF]