Assignment #10

Methods:

Phase 1:

Participants:

In this part, we chose Cornell University undergraduate students who were our acquaintances between the ages of 18 and 22. Aiming for an even division between males and females, we selected 9 males and 11 females, all of whom speak fluent English (i.e. having spoken English for at least seven years). Additionally, familiarity with the instant messaging program, AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), was required.

Procedure:

First, the participants signed an informed consent form. We then used a predetermined script to ask them, via AIM, how to tie the shoelaces on a typical untied shoe. The participants used their own messaging clients and personal computers and communicated with us from their own environment (generally dorm rooms). After they gave an indication that they were finished, the conversations were saved and the participants were debriefed. Some extraneous content was removed from the final transcripts; this consisted of unnecessary introductory information from the script as well as statements given after the conclusion of the instructions themselves.

Coding:

We coded each transcript for various linguistic features (exact details to be determined).

Phase 2:

Participants:

The participants for the next phase of the experiment were drawn from the same pool as those in Phase I and consisted of approximately 20 students from a communications class at Cornell University, most of whom were between the ages of 18 and 22. The same requirement for fluency in English is applied from the previous section.

Phase II participants participated for credit in communications courses which they were taking.

Procedure:

Before beginning, the participants signed an informed consent form. They were then given a packet of the Phase I transcripts, which included a questionnaire for each one. They were asked to read the transcripts and then to grade them on a numerical scale as to whether it tended to be wordy or concise, sloppy or organized, confusing or straightforward, and vague or clear. After making these evaluations, the participant was asked to determine if the directions in each transcript were written by a male or by a female. Finally, the participants were debriefed.