2011 Volume 21 Issue 2 Pages 25-34
〔Perpose〕This study, given the recent prevalence of electronic media, investigates the relationship between face-to-face communication skills and text message dependence in healthcare students, who aim to become professionals and help others.
〔Methods〕A total of 879 healthcare students answered questionnaires consisting of a text message dependence scale, a communication scale and a social skill scale. Responses were investigated by using cluster and variance analysis.
〔Results and Discussion〕According to the scores on the subscales of the text message dependence scale, healthcare students were grouped into three clusters：“those with low dependence”, “those with dependence involving emotional attachment”, and “those with dependence involving emotional attachment and frequent use”. “Those with low dependence” showed the highest face-to-face communication skills. “Those with dependence involving emotional attachment” had tendency to communicate, such as supersensitivity in face-to-face communication, difficulty in expressing oneself and failure to fit in groups. However, this tendency was less remarkable in “those with dependence involving emotional attachment and frequent use”, an extroversive factor. The results are closely connected with the characteristics of computer-mediated communication （CMC）, suggesting a direction for considering the future of communication education.
