Holly H. Schiffrin

The Associations among Computer-Mediated Communication, Relationships, and Well-being

Social support provided by interpersonal relationships is one of the most robust correlates of well-being. Self-disclosure serves as a basic building block of these relationships. With the rapid growth of the Internet in recent years, the question remains how self-disclosure, and subsequently relationships and well-being, differ when people communicate over the Internet rather than in person. The purpose of this article is to describe current Internet usage patterns as well as explore the association of Internet usage and well-being. Additionally, it directly compares the perceived benefits of face-to-face communication and computer-mediated communication. A questionnaire was administered to 99 undergraduates to measure Internet usage patterns, communication partners, self-disclosure, extraversion, and subjective well-being. Although Internet communication was found to be common, individuals perceived computer-mediated communication to be less useful than face-to-face communication. In addition, increased Internet usage was associated with decreased well-being. Implications are discussed in terms of a new Internet paradox in which people increasingly use the Internet for communication, although they perceive it to be less beneficial than face-to-face interactions and it is associated with reduced well-being.

Mood over matter: can happiness be your undoing?

Research in the field of positive psychology has revealed many advantages of positive emotions. According to the undoing hypothesis of Fredrickson and Levenson, positive affect can undo the physiological effects of negative emotion. The present study examined whether positive emotions could undo the cognitive effects of negative emotion. A letter identification task was used to measure changes in the cognitive processing of 86 college students who were induced into a positive, negative, or neutral affective state by viewing various film clips. The results of this study provided preliminary support for the hypothesis that positive emotions undo the cognitive effects of negative emotions.

Happy People Don't Follow the Stereotype: The Impact of Mood on Stereotyping

Research has revealed that positive mood contributes to both broadened (i.e., more inclusive) categorizations and to increased reliance on heuristics (e.g., stereotypes). Bodenhausen, Mussweiler, Gabriel, and Moreno (2001) explained this equivocal research in light of four stages at which stereotyping can occur. The current study tests the fi rst two of these four stages: stereotype categorization and activation, in the context of racial stereotyping. The study did not replicate fi ndings of previous research that positive mood infl uences reliance on heuristics and broadened categorization. However, a relationship between category and race emerged, indicating that across mood conditions, participants rated EuropeanAmericans higher than African-Americans for likelihood of being in the category politician. In addition, participants rated a higher proportion of EuropeanAmerican than African-American names as politicians and a higher proportion of African-American names than European-American names as criminals. Results are discussed in terms of the nature of the stimuli, the mood induction procedures, and how this study fi ts with the stages of stereotyping.