Task 6: Operationalising interactivity

Spiros Kiousis argument in his article "Interactivity: a concept explication" about different scholars definitions of "interactivity" and proposes a new concept of interactivity by operationalising interactivity.

Generally interactivity is human thoughts more related to communication technologies, online environment, mobile devises, virtual reality but to judge which medium is more interactive than the other is quite blurry.

Newhangen et al(1995) states that interactivity fluctuates across individuals and media (e.g computers are more interactive than newspapers). In media technologies interactivity can be quite stable in time reactions but varies a lot depending on individuals. Steuer(1992) points out that the interactivity should be dependent on the level where mediated environments are more important than the physical environments. Feedback should be rather multiway that two-way communication.

Based on the intellectual perspective articles the fundamental keywords for interactivity should be:

- Two-way or multi-way communication (usually with a channel between)

- The roles of the message sender and received should be changeable

- Communicators can be humans or computers either senders or receivers of information

- Individuals should be able to modify the content and form of the information with mediated environment between

- Users should be able to perceive differences in levels of interactive media

When these conditions are filled, it can refer to interactive communication.

The author proposes a new definition of interactivity with combination of fundamental components and essential components of different views.

By linking the operational definitions with the three main conceptual defintions the depenence will look like this:

- Structure of technology consist of speed, range, timing flexibility and sensor complexity.

- Communcation context has the components third-order dependecy and social presence.

- User perception depends on proximity, preceived speed, sensory activation and telepresence

References:

Newhagen, J.E., J.W. Cordes, and M.R. Levy (1995) ‘Nightly@nbc.com: Audience

Scope and the Perception of Interactivity in Viewer Mail on the Internet’, Journal of

Communication 45(3): 164–75.

Steuer, J.S. (1992) ‘Defining Virtual Reality: Dimensions Determining Telepresence’,

Journal of Communication 42(4): 73–93.