When Communicative Worlds Collide: Strategies for Negotiating Misalignments in Attentional Social Presence

A significant issue facing communicators in the current multicommunicative environment is securing the attention of potential audience members who are likely to be engrossed in their digital devices. The theory of attentional social presence suggests that communicators secure their attention using o...

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Main Authors: Jeanine Warisse Turner, Sonja K. Foss
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Philosophies
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9287/9/6/173
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author Jeanine Warisse Turner
Sonja K. Foss
author_facet Jeanine Warisse Turner
Sonja K. Foss
author_sort Jeanine Warisse Turner
collection DOAJ
description A significant issue facing communicators in the current multicommunicative environment is securing the attention of potential audience members who are likely to be engrossed in their digital devices. The theory of attentional social presence suggests that communicators secure their attention using one of four types of social presence—budgeted, competitive, entitled, and invitational. In this essay, the theory of attentional social presence is extended by identifying strategies interactants use to resolve misalignments in expected or preferred types of social presence. The research design involved interviews with 32 individuals about their experiences with misalignment in attentional social presence. Transcripts of the interviews were coded following the qualitative approach of grounded theory. Three primary strategies emerged from the analysis—prescribing to eliminate misalignment, rationalizing to overlook misalignment, and co-creating to resolve misalignment. Understanding various methods for negotiating mismatches among chosen types of social presence will allow communicators to create more satisfying and productive interactions.
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spelling doaj-art-4dcf2e4fb9c14ead86ef7898f2ad12ab2024-12-27T14:46:57ZengMDPI AGPhilosophies2409-92872024-11-019617310.3390/philosophies9060173When Communicative Worlds Collide: Strategies for Negotiating Misalignments in Attentional Social PresenceJeanine Warisse Turner0Sonja K. Foss1Communication, Culture & Technology Program, The McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USADepartment of Communication, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO 80204, USAA significant issue facing communicators in the current multicommunicative environment is securing the attention of potential audience members who are likely to be engrossed in their digital devices. The theory of attentional social presence suggests that communicators secure their attention using one of four types of social presence—budgeted, competitive, entitled, and invitational. In this essay, the theory of attentional social presence is extended by identifying strategies interactants use to resolve misalignments in expected or preferred types of social presence. The research design involved interviews with 32 individuals about their experiences with misalignment in attentional social presence. Transcripts of the interviews were coded following the qualitative approach of grounded theory. Three primary strategies emerged from the analysis—prescribing to eliminate misalignment, rationalizing to overlook misalignment, and co-creating to resolve misalignment. Understanding various methods for negotiating mismatches among chosen types of social presence will allow communicators to create more satisfying and productive interactions.https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9287/9/6/173social presenceattentional social presencemulticommunicatingalignmentmatchingmismatching
spellingShingle Jeanine Warisse Turner
Sonja K. Foss
When Communicative Worlds Collide: Strategies for Negotiating Misalignments in Attentional Social Presence
Philosophies
social presence
attentional social presence
multicommunicating
alignment
matching
mismatching
title When Communicative Worlds Collide: Strategies for Negotiating Misalignments in Attentional Social Presence
title_full When Communicative Worlds Collide: Strategies for Negotiating Misalignments in Attentional Social Presence
title_fullStr When Communicative Worlds Collide: Strategies for Negotiating Misalignments in Attentional Social Presence
title_full_unstemmed When Communicative Worlds Collide: Strategies for Negotiating Misalignments in Attentional Social Presence
title_short When Communicative Worlds Collide: Strategies for Negotiating Misalignments in Attentional Social Presence
title_sort when communicative worlds collide strategies for negotiating misalignments in attentional social presence
topic social presence
attentional social presence
multicommunicating
alignment
matching
mismatching
url https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9287/9/6/173
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