Face-to-Face Communication over the Internet

Social platforms such as MySpace, Facebook and Twitter have rekindled the initial excitement of cyberspace. Text-based, computer-mediated communication has been enriched with face-to-face communication such as Skype, as users move from desktops to laptops with integrated cameras and related hardware. Age, gender and culture barriers seem to have crumbled and disappeared as the user base widens dramatically. Other than simple statistics relating to e-mail usage, chatrooms and blog subscriptions, we know surprisingly little about the rapid changes taking place. This book assembles leading researchers on nonverbal communication, emotion, cognition and computer science to summarize what we know about the processes relevant to face-to-face communication as it pertains to telecommunication, including video-conferencing. The authors take stock of what has been learned regarding how people communicate, in person or over distance, and set the foundations for solid research helping to understand the issues, implications and possibilities that lie ahead.

'This book brings together important chapters for anyone seriously interested in Internet mediated face-to-face social interaction. It is comprehensive, bringing together the thoughts and research of major scholars in this area. It makes the jobs of those creating such virtual interactions whether to further technological development, investigate social interaction experimentally or to create entertainment much more efficiently. I highly recommend it.' Jim Blascovich, Director, Research Center for Virtual Environments and Behavior, University of California, Santa Barbara, 'The Internet and social medial have revolutionized people's communication in the workplace and in their daily lives. This fascinating and timely collection brings together some of the foremost scholars in the areas of new media and emotions and does so in a most novel way. It is 'must' reading for students of nonverbal, interpersonal, mass and mediated communication and psychology.' Judee K. Burgoon, Professor of Communication, Family Studies, and Human Development, University of Arizona

Arvid Kappas is Professor of Psychology in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Jacobs University Bremen. Nicole C. Krämer is Professor of Social Psychology, Media and Communication at the University Duisburg, Essen.