Abby Mueller

Artifact Paper: You’ve Got Mail and

Social Information Processing Theory

Introduction to Concept

Social information processing theory overall assumes people communicate for the same

reasons no matter what channel is used. (Westerman et al, 2017, p. 137). It claims that users of

computer mediated communication can form the same types of bonds and relationships (both

friendships and intimate relationships) as classically preferred face-to-face communication. The

theory was created by Cornell professor Joseph Walther and it explores how relationships grow

based upon how members of the relationship assemble information about each other by gathering

impressions of who they are. In most cases, this convenient method of communication can have

some downsides. Since it is difficult to generate impressions of someone over the internet, it can

take much longer to form a genuine relationship that flourishes compared to a relationship born

through common face-to-face communication. Although the nonverbal cues that communicators

subconsciously look for and give off are not always readily available through computer mediated

communication, humans adapt to what they have at their disposal and combine their own

emotional and social expressions to the channel that is available. Ultimately, the relationship

development takes more time to occur, but eventually it does. In some cases, higher skilled

communicators might be able to better accomplish their goals through online communication.

(Westerman et al, 2017, p. 137).

Research Findings
 In studies conducted by Fulk, Steinfield, Schmitz, and Power, they found that

communicator’s social environments affect their retrospective rationality which can be

influenced by information given off by others. Ultimately, this affects how people communicate

with others both face-to-face and through computer mediated communication. They asked their

population to analyze their past and present behavior in conversations. “This involved a process

of attribution in which past behavior serves as a source of attitudes. The process is influenced by

the individual’s commitment to the behavior and the information about past behavior that is

salient at the time.” (Salancik & Pfeffer, 1978, p. 230).

In fact, these results about social information processing theory leads to the conclusion

that social contexts require substantial and justifiable behavior, which provides certain social

norms and expectations. “Communicators learn to address these even when there are lean

channels that contain little to no nonverbal cues.” (Westerman et al, 2017, p. 137). According to

the textbook, people try to manage basic human desires of uncertainty, form impressions of

others, develop affinity and notice social presence. (p. 137) This not only allows people to

control their first impressions gathered by others, but it allows them to more easily analyze the

impressions given off by others.

A second study written by Ronald Rice discusses that the social information processing

theory suggests messages that communicators attempt to give are affected by multiple factors,

including one’s credibility, overall behavior, and social status (Rice, 1991, p. 222). Computer

simulations conducted by Krassa (1988) concluded “the importance that individuals place on

others’ opinions changes due to diffusion through interaction.” (Krassa, 1988, p. 113). More

influences could be by how much formal power an individual obtains. However, in the end it is

unsure if these social descriptors should be solidified as an average influence.

Artifact Background

You’ve Got Mail (1998) is a film about a woman (Kathleen Kelly) played by Meg Ryan,

whose bookstore (inherited by her mother which passed away) is bought out by a man (Joe)

played by Tom Hanks. In reality, Joe is Kathleen’s worst enemy for “taking” her precious

bookstore full of memories with her mother. Yet, she ends up falling in love with Joe through

email without even knowing it is him. She is unaware throughout the entire movie who the man

she is emailing with, but Joe figures it out almost immediately and is driven to continue with the

virtual relationship without telling her who he is. However, in person he helps her figure out

possibilities of who the mystery man could be. Ultimately, she gradually loses her resentment

towards Joe as they repeatedly and unexpectedly bump into each other throughout the city. She

eventually hopes the mysterious man ends up being Joe. In the end of the movie she finally has

the chance to come face to face with the man she fell in love with through computer mediated

communication with the help of three small words, “you’ve got mail.”

Connection Between Concept and Artifact

In You’ve Got Mail, both Joe and Kathleen experience a mutual irritancy for each other

when they meet face-to-face. Since they meet under a pressure filled atmosphere when she

discovers Joe is buying out her bookstore, she already generates negative impressions of him and

notices others that he gives off (such as him acting as if she failed and that he is better and

therefore more superior than her) which only fuels her hatred more. Joe does the same in

noticing nonverbal cues when they meet, such as her overall attitude towards him and her

unwillingness to be friendly or at least neutral spoken. It is ultimately through computer

mediated communication that they are anonymously able and willing to explore their feelings

and get to know each other more since they are not at all at that stage of acceptance in reality.
Kathleen continues to have an underlying hatred for Joe as he is the one who took away a large

positive part of her life. However, their constant emailing allows for her to willingly speak to

Joe, not knowing who he is without the overwhelming thought of what she lost because of him.

This allows the social information processing theory to thrive and reveal that without the virtual

channel they shared communication with, they easily may have remained lifelong enemies and

never have gotten the chance to fall in love. There are many ways throughout the movie that can

be considered showing affection as Joe and Kathleen communicate through computer mediated

communication. An example of this is simply the asynchrony of their emails. If Kathleen sends

Joe an email and he responds quickly instead of taking hours or even days to drag on the

conversation, it shows his eagerness to talk to her and willingness to make time for conversation.

Also, if either of them send an email late at night, it is seen generally as more romantic than

during the afternoon, perhaps on a lunchbreak or spare moment away from work. Overall,

although it took some time, Joe and Kathleen’s relationship prove the social information

processing theory to be true as these two enemies in the real world were able to fall in love in the

virtual world thanks to computer mediated communication.

Conclusively, the storyline of the movie You’ve Got Mail very well illustrates the social

information processing theory. The examples given covers all the major aspects of the theory.

The relationship that Joe and Kathleen are unknowingly able to develop through computer

mediated communication, no matter how much they may loathe each other in reality. It can be

argued that the social information processing theory can generally take longer to build and

maintain healthy genuine relationships, but in this movie the opposite is true. Joe and Kathleen

would never have gotten to the point they achieved in the end of the movie had they not had their

“secret” online anonymous relationship. It not only made them closer in reality, since it gave
them a conversation topic other than books, but it took away the impressions and nonverbal cues

that make them reluctant when conversing face-to-face. They were able to form a strong heartfelt

relationship mainly through email, finally proving the social information processing theory.
 References

Fulk, J., Steinfield, C. W., Schmitz, J., & Power, J. G. (1987). A social information processing

model of media use in organizations. Communication research, 14(5), 529-552.

Krassa, M. A. (1988). Social groups, selective perception, and behavioral contagion in public

opinion. Social Networks, 10(2), 109-136.

Rice, R. E., & Aydin, C. (1991). Attitudes toward new organizational technology: Network

proximity as a mechanism for social information processing. Administrative science

quarterly, 219-244.

Salancik, G. R., & Pfeffer, J. (1978). A social information processing approach to job attitudes

and task design. Administrative science quarterly, 224-253.

Westerman, D., Bowman, N. D., & Lachlan, K. A. (2017). Introduction to Mediated

Communication, Social Media and Beyond (2nd ed.). Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.

Link to Artifact: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znESQTt3L80