Preference for and Perceived Competence of Communication Technology Affordances in Face-Threatening Scenarios

People tend to prefer lean communication channels (i.e., those with fewer cues and a time lag between message receipt and reply) when they anticipate that an interaction will threaten their face. However, the role of relationship type in this phenomenon is under-explored. Participants (N = 231) responded to hypothetical face-threatening scenarios about close or casual friends. Participants who reported on casual friends perceived higher face threat and were more likely to prefer lean channels. Perceived effectiveness and appropriateness of channels also varied by relationship type and channel preference. These findings highlight the importance of relationship type in face-threatening scenarios and suggest that associations between relationship type, perceived face threat, and channel preference are more complicated than previously proposed.