What are the special features of telephone conversations?
Although face to face speaking and telephone conversation share many features, we also recognise that there are differences. The most obvious of these is the actual physical difference between telephoning and face to face. Telephone conversations rely only on the auditory channel, thus visual cues in a conversation are missing. The visual clues might be paralinguistic; such as eye contact, which shows attention, is being paid to the speaker. Short, Christie and Williams (1976)also developed a theory which is relevant here; that of ‘social presence’ where warmth, sociability and sensibility can be communicated. For example, face to face communication has high social presence whereas a business letter has low social presence. Thus, the telephone as an auditory channel may not permit the influence of much ‘social presence’. Although obvious, (unless they are conference calls) there are only two people involved in a conversation. That may or may not put speaking pressure upon the individua
