Kevin B. Wright

Researching Internet-Based Populations: Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Survey Research, Online Questionnaire Authoring Software Packages, and Web Survey Services

This article examines some advantages and disadvantages of conducting online survey research. It explores current features, issues, pricing, and limitations associated with products and services, such as online questionnaire features and services to facilitate the online survey process, such as those offered by web survey businesses. The review shows that current online survey products and services can vary considerably in terms of available features, consumer costs, and limitations. It is concluded that online survey researchers should conduct a careful assessment of their research goals, research timeline, and financial situation before choosing a specific product or service.

Health-related Support Groups on the Internet: Linking Empirical Findings to Social Support and Computer-mediated Communication Theory

This literature review of research on health-related computer-mediated support groups links features of these groups to existing theory from the areas of social support and computer-mediated communication research. The article exams computer-mediated support groups as weak tie networks, focuses on how these support groups facilitate participant similarity and empathic support and identifies changes in supportive communication due to characteristics of the medium.

Social support within an on-line cancer community: an assessment of emotional support, perceptions of advantages and disadvantages, and motives for using the community from a communication perspective

This study investigated an on-line cancer support community emphasizing communication concerns important to the community administrators. The researcher conducted an on-line survey of participants (N v = v 103) focused on their on-line communication activities and social support. The results indicate a modest negative correlation between emotional support received on-line and perceived stress, differences in emotional support scores based on perceptions of disadvantages of on-line support groups, and different motives for using the community between people with cancer and family members. The study also describes suggestions based on the results that were made to community administrators and which could be used by other on-line support communities.

Perceptions of on‐line support providers: An examination of perceived homophily, source credibility, communication and social support within on‐line support groups

The study examined perceptions of support providers, social support network size and network satisfaction, and the advantages and disadvantages of computer‐mediated support groups among (N = 107) on‐line support group users. The results indicated that the amount of time a person spent communicating within these groups and the number of messages received within on‐line groups was related to support group network size and network satisfaction. Perceptions of source credibility and homophily were also related to on‐line network size and network satisfaction. Finally, a number of advantages and disadvantages to receiving and providing support on‐line were reported by respondents.

Computer‐mediated support groups: An examination of relationships among social support, perceived stress, and coping strategies

This study examined social support, perceived stress, and coping strategies among participants (N = 148) within twenty‐four computer‐mediated support groups. The results indicated that the amount of time a person reported spending communicating with others in on‐line support groups was positively related to the size of his or her support group network and satisfaction with the support he or she received in online support groups. Satisfaction with both on‐line supportive relationships and face‐to‐face supportive relationships was correlated with degree of reduction in perceived life stress. Satisfaction with on‐line social support was predictive of the types of coping strategies used by participants.

Communication Competence, Social Support, and Depression Among College Students: A Model of Facebook and Face-to-Face Support Network Influence

This study examined the influence of the social networking site Facebook and face-to-face support networks on depression among (N = 361) college students. The authors used the Relational Health Communication Competence Model as a framework for examining the influence of communication competence on social support network satisfaction and depression. Moreover, they examined the influence of interpersonal and social integrative motives as exogenous variables. On the basis of previous work, the authors propose and test a theoretical model using structural equation modeling. The results indicated empirical support for the model, with interpersonal motives predicting increased face-to-face and computer-mediated competence, increased social support satisfaction with face-to-face and Facebook support, and lower depression scores. The implications of the findings for theory, key limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.

Credibility of Anonymous Online Product Reviews: A Language Expectancy Perspective

Online reviews play a significant role in forming and shaping perceptions about a product. With the credibility of online reviewers a frequent question, this research investigates how potential buyers assess the credibility of anonymous reviewers. Technology separates the reviewer from the review, and potential buyers are left to rely on characteristics of the review itself to determine the credibility of the reviewer. By extending the language expectancy theory to the online setting, we develop hypotheses about how expectancy violations of lexical complexity, two-sidedness (highlighting positive and negative aspects of a product), and affect intensity influence credibility attributions. We present an experiment in which favorable experimental reviews were generated based on actual reviews for a digital camera. The results indicate that two-sidedness caused a positive expectancy violation resulting in greater credibility attribution. High affect intensity caused a negative expectancy violation resulting in lower credibility attribution. Finally, high reviewer credibility significantly improved perceptions of product quality. Our results demonstrate the importance of expectancies and violations when attributing credibility to anonymous individuals. Even small expectancy violations can meaningfully influence reviewer credibility and perceptions of products.

Assessing Communication Competence in an Online Study: Toward Informing Subsequent Interventions Among Older Adults With Cancer, Their Lay Caregivers, and Peers

Employing quantitative and qualitative measures, online and paper versions, we tested Krepss (1988) relational health communication model by examining relations among social support, communication competence, and perceived stress in a study of well-elders, elderly individuals with cancer, and their lay caregivers (N = 76). Grounding the qualitative part of the study in the narrative paradigm (Fisher, 1984), we used the critical incident technique (Flanagan, 1954) to collect participant narratives focusing on positive and negative expressions of social support. The results indicated partial support for the relational health communication model. In particular, participants who were more communicatively competent were found to have lower levels of perceived stress, and they were more satisfied with the support offered by members of their support network. In addition, the critical incidents revealed that participants received significantly more emotional and esteem support from their network than other social support types. Key limitations and future directions are also identified.

Framing medical tourism: an examination of appeal, risk, convalescence, accreditation, and interactivity in medical tourism web sites.

This exploratory study analyzed the content of medical tourism Web sites in an attempt to examine how they convey information about benefits and risks of medical procedures, how they frame credibility, and the degree to which these Web sites include interactive features for consumers. Drawing upon framing theory, the researchers content analyzed a sample of 66 medical tourism Web sites throughout the world. The results indicated that medical tourism Web sites largely promote the benefits of medical procedures while downplaying the risks, and relatively little information regarding the credibility of these services appears. In addition, the presentation of benefits/risks, credibility, and Web site interactivity were found to differ by region and type of facility. The authors discuss the implications of these findings concerning the framing of medical tourism Web site content, future directions for research, and limitations.

A Measure of Weak-Tie/Strong-Tie Support Network Preference

This article reports two studies designed to develop and test a weak-tie/strong-tie support network preference scale. A theoretical framework for developing the measure and empirical tests of the underlying dimensions in two distinct populations is presented along with an assessment of the scales validity and reliability, and hypotheses are tested regarding the support network preferences of the two populations. The application and utility of the four subscales comprising the W/STS is discussed along with the scales implications for the study and advancement of applied research concerning social support networks.