COMM 4490 - Social Behavior and Technology

(crosslisted) INFO 4490
(SBA-AG)

Spring. 3 credits. Student option grading.

Prerequisite: COMM 2820, COMM 2450 and INFO 2450. Co-meets with COMM 6490/INFO 6490.

N. Bazarova, A. Hinck.

This course explores personal connections in the digital age, and how information and communication technologies impact our lives and relationships. It focuses on how people manage interactions and identities, develop and maintain relationships, accomplish social goals, create shared meanings, and engage in collaboration and conflict in social media. Emphasis will be placed on how current thinking in relational communication can explain and anticipate interpersonal dynamics on the Internet, but also on how online behaviors may challenge traditional principles of human communication. A major part of the course is a semester-long research project in which students working in small groups design, run, and present their own empirical study of personal relationships and technology.

Outcome 1: Students will be able to examine and extend basic principles of interpersonal communication to human behavior and relationships on the Internet.

Outcome 2: Students will be able to explore the nature and role of perception of self and others in computer-mediated interactions.

Outcome 3: Students will be able to investigate how interpersonal relationships are affected by information and communication technologies.

Outcome 4: Students will be able to form an awareness of research methods that are used to study social behavior on the Internet.