Social and Cognitive Processes in Interpersonal Communication: Implications for Advanced Telecommunications Technologies

Abstract

Interactive multimedia conferencing systems, in which two or more remotely located people can work on cooperative tasks through shared audio, video, and data, appear to be the wave of the future. However, because of great advances in the underlying technology of multimedia conferencing systems, many design decisions have been driven by what is technically feasible as opposed to what will best suit the needs of the users. In this paper we provide a framework for the design and evaluation of features in advanced telecommunications products and services which is derived from empirical research on interpersonal communication. We also discuss implications of this research for the development and use of advanced telecommunications technologies.