Joy Unbound

Source: scienceblog.com/49579/lying-is-more-common-when-we-email/

A new study by University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers finds that communication using computers for instant messaging and e-mail increases lying compared to face-to-face conversations, and that e-mail messages are most likely to contain lies. The findings, by Robert S. Feldman, professor of psychology and dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Mattityahu Zimbler, a graduate student, are published in the October issue of the Journal of Applied Social Psychology.

The research paper, titled “Liar, Liar, Hard Drive on Fire: How Media Context Affects Lying Behavior,” looked at 110 same-sex pairs of college students who engaged in 15 minute conversations either face-to-face, using e-mail, or using instant messaging. The results were then analyzed for inaccuracies.

What Feldman and Zimbler found was that while there is some degree of deception present in all three forms of communication, it was increased in both instant messaging and e-mail, with e-mail messages the most likely to contain lies. Underlying this was the concept of deindividualization, where as people grow psychologically and physically further from the person they are in communication with, there is a higher likelihood of lying, they say.

In addition to the distance one person is from the other, e-mail communication has the added component of being asynchronous, not as connected in real time as instant messaging or face-to-face conversation. Feldman and Zimbler conclude, “It seems likely that the asynchronicity of e-mail makes the users feel even more disconnected from the respondent in that a reply to their queries is not expected immediately, but rather is delayed until some future point in time.”

“Ultimately, the findings show how easy it is to lie when online, and that we are more likely to be the recipient of deceptive statements in online communication than when interacting with others face-to-face,” says Feldman.

“In exploring the practical implications of this research, the results indicate that the Internet allows people to feel more free, psychologically speaking, to use deception, at least when meeting new people,” Feldman and Zimbler say. “Given the public attention to incidents of Internet predation, this research suggests that the deindividualization created by communicating from behind a computer screen may facilitate the process of portraying a disingenuous self.”

Feldman, who has been the dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at UMass Amherst since 2009, is an expert on lying and author of the book “The Liar in Your Life,” published in 2009.

He is a frequent commentator in the media on issues related to lying. Feldman joined the faculty of the UMass Amherst psychology department in 1977 after teaching for three years at Virginia Commonwealth University. He has been a visiting professor at Mount Holyoke College and Wesleyan University and was a Fulbright lecturer and research scholar at Ewha University in Seoul, South Korea in 1977.

I had a very long day.

I had gotten to James River Assembly by around 7:15 AM and was operating Camera 2 for the two main services. After that I went to the Connect center just to hang out and around with some of the people (particularly an old person named Sharren because she’s awesome and I like being around her). After spending about an hour there we closed up the Connect center and I was heading out to drop some stuff in my car (I had two large healthy drinks on me, one of which I had already drunk). I had noticed that two diesel semi-trucks with trailers were backing up at the entrance to the atrium from which I had exited, so on my way back I offerred to help and was gladly accepted. The group of volunteers there were young adults of and around my age, I think most of them who were volunteers for James River Assembly but were not officially meant to help out (but did so entirely on their own desire to be there and help) — and that’s awesome too, and a few that were from around the country. One of the volunteers had just come from Chicago, and I think maybe another had come from California or something, or Brooklyn.

We helped unload crates both heavy and light from the trailers and moved them into the public hallway behind the sanctuary (which was later curtained off after everything had been unloaded from the trailers). After unloading everything, we sought for things to do and help out on stage in setting up lighting equipment, power equipment, and various other. I personally helped out a guy named Al, who I figure was probably in charge of everything else on-stage but the power equipment. With another buddy, I helped him setup and stand up some of those tower metal things that had lighting equipment attached to it. We also ran a bunch of very thick heavy gauge cables along the back of the stage and hooked up equipment. There were a lot of various things we did. Al had also traded me off to a guy named Andy here and there; Andy was in charge of power and I think maybe some of the lighting, but mostly responsible for power stations and powering equipment with electricity. I helped him and a couple other James River Assembly staff setup some of the massive but portable power supplies. The plugs on these are huge and consist of many moderately thick (compared to what they were powering) pins.

At 4:00 PM I let Al know that I had signed up for a Hillsong College informational that I needed to be at, so I attended that. It would be my dream to attend Hillsong College for the TV/Media/Production/Camera stream and possibly something else. I further realized that I am the kind of person that fits better in international/mixed/pluralistic environments; I am not afraid around people I have never met who come from all over the United States (let alone the world), and find it very enjoyable and pleasant to be among them. Anyway, due to financial reasons I would be unable to go to the Hillsong College; God would have to open doors to even make this possible. All I can do is hope, pray, move on, and let God be in control and lead the way. I then went up to the production room and met the director from Hillsong by the name of Chong/Chung/Chuong/Choung who was going to be, well, directing everything! He was performing two jobs as one — operating the switchboard AND keeping his eyes on the cameras and live program feed and calling out camera operators. I have to say he’s very passionate about what he does, and very hyperactive, conscious, and alive.

I think Hillsong actually started playing at around 7:45 PM or 8:00 PM, but they went on for like 2 hours minimum with a couple or few preachings scattered in-between throughout.

This is all I am going to write for now. My brain is still trying to process everything that has happened.