Technical Features of Asynchronous and Synchronous Community Platforms and their Effects on Community Cohesion: A Comparative Study of Forum-based and Chat-based Online Mental Health Communities

Technical Features of Asynchronous and Synchronous Community Platforms and their Effects on Community Cohesion: A Comparative Study of Forum-based and Chat-based Online Mental Health Communities

online mental health community, community cohesion, chat group, forum, CMC

Across online support communities, community cohesion varies by platform and can impact the self-disclosure of members and their exchanges of social support. Through a comparative study of forum and chat-based mental health communities, this research examines how technical features of both platforms influence community cohesion by affecting communication patterns among members, including evenness of communication, speed of communication, and number of participants. This study collected four weeks of data from 20 forum-based and 20 chat-based mental health communities in mainland China. Multilevel mediation analyses show that chat-based
communities were more cohesive with higher member retention, network connectedness, and language conformity. Chat-based platforms facilitated faster communication and greater evenness of receiving messages among participants which in turn fostered community cohesion.

Han Li, Robert E. Kraut, and Haiyi Zhu

https://academic.oup.com/jcmc/article/26/6/403/6375170

Oxford University Press

25 September 2021

Sri Wahyuni

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English

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Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 26 (2021)