| Title: | The Effects of Communication Interface Proximity on User Anxiety for Crime Alerts Received on Desktop, Laptop, and Hand-Held Devices; |
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| Authors and Corporations: | , |
| In: | Communication Research, 41, 2014, 3, p. 375-403 |
| published: |
SAGE Publications
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| Media Type: | Article, E-Article |
| Physical Description: | 375-403 |
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| ISSN: |
0093-6502
1552-3810 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/0093650212448670 |
| published in: | Communication Research |
| Language: | English |
| Subjects: | |
| Collection: | SAGE Publications (CrossRef) |
<jats:p> This experiment investigates effects of communication interface proximity, which was conceptualized as three different media platforms (desktop, laptop, and hand-held device), on college students’ anxiety when receiving emergency alerts about on-campus crimes via emails and text messages. It proposes a new dimension of proximity, interface proximity, and suggests a shift in the emphasis of proximity from audience to event to user to interface. Ninety seven students received alerts on one of the three devices for 2 days. User anxiety increased for news-like information such as crime alerts and varied according to the proximity of the media platform. A three-level model of anxiety, including trait anxiety, media exposure to negative compelling news, and a trigger event, all contributed to participants’ anxiety. </jats:p> |