Media Selection: MRT Trumps O'Sullivan in Non-valence Situations

In a world where “communication” can take on such a variety of meanings, media selection is an area of study I find both relevant and interesting. This past weekend, I made phone calls, wrote text messages and instant messages, sent Facebook notes and shares, left voicemails and Skyped, only for the first time considering my reasons for choosing a particular mode of communication.

My history professor left for the weekend this past Thursday, assuring the class via e-mail that Olin Library was to post our reading assignment on Blackboard for Monday’s class. Of course, no such reading assignment was ever posted on the course homepage. In a panic that I might be doing something wrong, I felt it necessary to contact someone in the class. The problem with finding a classmate to contact in this course is that it is a mere 15-person seminar; although I’ve made small talk with my classmates, I don’t know anyone personally just yet. Here is where the Media Richness Theory becomes relevant: rather than attempting to develop a deep relationship with someone when all I wanted was some homework information, lean media seemed to be the most efficient mode of contact. I was not worried about the ambiguity or clarity of my message – I was simply in search of information. As opposed to O’Sullivan’s theory, I had no need for a goal or interactional strategy. Valence and locus were irrelevant in the neutral task at hand. Because I had no negative impressions to buffer, O’Sullivan’s theory does not apply nearly so much as the fact that, in search of clear-cut facts, lean media was the most appropriate fit.

The second instance of media selection I will discuss was Skyping with my 23-year old brother from Sydney, Australia, where he was recently sent for a six-month job rotation. As I was used to seeing him regularly all summer (after moving home between the end of his lease and his September 1st departure), I was sad for us to part, only to be unable to even speak on the telephone. Contrary to O’Sullivan’s theory, there was no ambiguity-clarity dialectic at hand when I wanted to talk to my brother. Wanting to know as much about what was going on in his life as possible, the Media Richness Theory explains why I chose Skype over e-mail – I wanted cues! Skype is richer than any other form of long-distance communication as it allows for multiple cues, instant feedback and visible emotional expression. It is unequivocal and there are no restrictive limits to expression when you can both see and hear your partner.

Thus, in both scenarios, the Media Richness Theory proved to be the dominant factor. Without anything particularly emotional, provoking or potentially risky to say, O’Sullivan’s theory does not explain my motives and actions nearly as well.