Research

My work encompasses several different areas.  Three areas in particular represent major hubs:  Symbolic Magnitude Comparisons; Situational Frequency Sensitivity; and Discourse Processes in Computer-Mediated Communication.
 

Symbolic Magnitude Comparisons

The work in Symbolic Magnitude Comparisons currently focuses on online-categorization processes that facilitate determining relative magnitude.  Recent work looks at the relative contributions of attentional and automatic processes in such categorization, and how these processes underpin distance, congruity, and serial position effects.  Some relevant work here:
 
Cech, C. G.  (1989).  Congruity and the expectancy hypothesis.  Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 15, 1129-1133.    Abstract
 
Cech, C. G., Shoben, E. J., & Love, M.  (1990)  Multiple congruity effects in judgments of magnitude.  Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 16, 1142-1152.    Abstract

Cech, C. G.  (1995)  Is congruity due to encoding?  Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 21, 1275-1288.   Abstract

Cech, C. G., & Shoben, E. J.  (2001, In Press)  Categorization processes in mental comparisons.  Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition.   Abstract
 

 

Situational Frequency Sensitivity

A number of studies in this area examine sensitivity to frequency under various conditions.  In one extended series of experiments, I have been examining the extent to which people are sensitive to frequency in central and peripheral tasks, and how accurate they are at source monitoring.  A second line of work examines the issue of whether frequency information is represented in numerical format, as is claimed by some theorists.  A third line marries this work with the Deese-Roediger-McDermott false memory work and examines factors that potentially influence the frequency estimates people make for non-presented items.  Much of this work is now in the process of being written up, but below is an abstract for one paper being submitted.
 
Cech, C.G.  Misjudging situational frequency:  How often is fine, but don't ask where.   Abstract
 
 

Discourse Processes in CMC

In the past five years, Sherri Condon and I (along with other colleagues such as Bill Edwards) have been investigating discourse processes in asynchronous and synchronous computer-mediated communication.  This is an extraordinarily rich area that supports a number of interesting questions having to do with issues such as turn management under various CMC systems, effects of attentional requirements on discourse management, topic reinstatement over extended dialog, etc.  We have in part been working towards software that would identify natural dialog boundaries in on-going computer talk to enable intervention paradigms.  Some sample research:
Condon, S. L., &  Cech, C. G.  (1996)  Functional comparison of face-to-face and computer- mediated decision-making interactions.  In Herring, S.  (Ed.), Computer-mediated communication:  Linguistic, social, and cross-cultural perspectives (65-80).  Philadelphia:  John Benjamins.

Condon, S. L., &  Cech, C. G. (1996).  Discourse management strategies in face-to-face and computer-mediated decision-making interactions.  Electronic Journal of Communication/La Revue Electronique de Communication, 6 (3).    Abstract

Condon, S. L., Cech, C.  G., & Edwards. W. R.  (1997, November).  Discourse routines in decision-making interactions.  Paper presented at the AAAI Fall 1997 Symposium, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA.     Paper

Cech, C. G., & Condon, S. L.  (1998).  Message size constraints on discourse planning in synchronous computer-mediated communication.  Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers, 30, 255-263.     Abstract

Condon, S. L., &  Cech, C. G.   Computer mediated discourse management in three modalities.  (forthcoming)

Also, three students are currently completing their Master's Theses in this area:
Lori Babineaux is comparing turn management and discourse strategies in split-screen simultaneous communications to the forced-turn serial transmissions Sherri Condon and I have looked at.

Carolyn Law Gray is examining the extent to which efficiency in CMC is moderated by group size effects that may result in social loafing or, given the deindividuation of the medium, alliancing.

Kelly Ryan-Biskup is following up on our finding that certain conditions lead to a discourse management strategy by which one person dominates the conversation;  the extent to which that strategy is negotiable is the focus of her work.
 
 
 

Other

Nandigam, J., Lakhotia, A., &  Cech, C. G.  (1999).  Experimental evaluation of agreement between programmers in applying the rules of cohesion.  Journal of Software Maintenance, 11, 35-53.    Abstract