Latent Semantic Similarity in Initial Computer-Mediated Interactions

The development of latent semantic similarity (LSS; the extent to which interaction partners use words in the same way) was investigated in the initial computer-mediated interactions of 120 same-sex dyads in Study 1 and 111 same-sex dyads in Study 2. The significant effects in Study 2 replicated those obtained in Study 1. In both studies, the female-female dyads achieved higher LSS than the male-male dyads. Across all dyads, LSS decreased—rather than increased—over time. Comparisons of word usage over the course of the interactions suggested that the dyads were more motivated to achieve higher levels of LSS during the earliest phase of their initial interaction, but that this motivation tended to wane over time. An exception to this trend occurred in high extraversion dyads, where the level of LSS remained relatively high and consistent across the three time periods studied. A motivational interpretation of these findings is both plausible and parsimonious, and the present study is—to the best of our knowledge—the first to find evidence of motivational influences on LSS.