Para-Social Presence and Communication Capabilities of a Web Site: A Theoretical Perspective

Author: Kumar Nanda   Benbasat Izak  

Publisher: Indiana University Press

ISSN: 1528-8226

Source: e-Service Journal, Vol.1, Iss.3, 2002-06, pp. : 5-24

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Abstract

The goal of this paper is to describe the theoretical underpinnings of the construct Para-social Presence and to develop an instrument to measure this construct. Para-social presence refers to the extent to which a medium facilitates a sense of understanding, connection, involvement and interaction among participating social entities. We make a case for treating a web site as a valid social actor and argue that the relationship between a web site and her visitors should be characterized in much the same way one would characterize an inter-personal relationship. We also argue that a web site could possess different levels of para-social presence depending on how it is configured and used. We then develop a research framework that illustrates the impact of new technologies (such as personalization systems) and associated web interface design decisions on perceived communication characteristics of a web site, para-social presence, and subsequent user evaluations of the web site.