Relation of Statement Length and Type and Type of Chat Room to Reciprocal Communication on the Internet

Abstract

This study examined the relation of statement type (neutral, questioning, provocative, or bizarre) and length of statement (short vs. long) to reciprocal conversation in Internet chat rooms. The results indicated that provocative statements had a significant impact on reciprocal communication in two out of three different types of Internet chat rooms. These findings support the hypothesis that the amount of reciprocal communication in a chat room is directly related to the type of statements made by the participants. The results also suggest that the type of statement that elicits the greatest reciprocal communication may vary with the type of chat room.