Social
Information
Processing
(SIP) Theory
Joseph Walther
• Introduction to SIP Theory
• The Construction of SIP Theory: A Functional
Approach to Communication
Non-Verbal Cues
Language vs Emoticon
Self Disclosure
• SIP Theory Foundations
• Computer-mediated-Communication
Relationship: Hyperpersonal
Content
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SIP Theory • This theory is interested in explaining the interpersonal
relationships between those individuals that are involved in
computer mediated- interactions or CMC.
• Principally, the SIP Theory explores multimodal relationship
03 that people engage in; where communication is carried out in
various modals or modes, both online and offline.
• The SIP Theory postulates that when people are motivated to
DEFINITION engage in social relationships, they can do so by using CMC
as effectively as they would have done in a face-to-face
setting (Walther, 2012).
SIP Theory• This theory came about with the rise of textual exchanges
mediated by computer.
• It started with chatrooms such as MIRC, Yahoo Messenger
and MSN Messenger.
03
• The ‘chat’ feature is later on incorporated into networking
websites such as Facebook (Facebook messenger) and
social media application such as Instagram, before the
invention of chat-only services such as WhatsApp and
THEORY ORIGIN – Telegram.
THE RISE OF CMC
SIP Theory
03
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Examples of CMC
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The Construction of The SIP Theory:
A Functional Approach to Communication
Non-Verbal Cues
• The SIP Theory acknowledges the significant role
of non-verbal messages and cues in face-to-face
communication.
•
• However, non-verbal cues are not exclusively
influential in CMC.
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The Construction of The SIP Theory:
A Functional Approach to Communication
Language versus Emoticons
• Emoticons, although widely researched for their ability to
generate cues to facilitate CMC are in reality just one of the
stylistic shortcuts – new communicative inventions.
• The SIP Theory is focused on the use of language to express
social meanings as it has been the main mode of
communication since the beginning of mankind.
• Besides that, language’s use transcends both online and offline
modes as well as time.
04
Self-Disclosure
• In face-to-face interaction, personal details could be gauged or
‘disclosed’ through a person’s physical appearance cues, vocal
characteristics and overt reactions.
• Since the SIP Theory looks into CMC where cues could not be
The Construction of The SIP obtained in real time, the SIP Theory proposes a concept named
Theory: ‘Self-disclosure’.
A Functional Approach to • Self-disclosure is an interactive strategy to obtain personal
Communication information about a fellow interactant by asking personal
questions to trigger personal responses.
• Examples of self disclosure questions are:
Where are you from?
What are your hobbies?
Where did you study?
Are you a fan of Disney movies?
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The Foundations of the SIP Theory: Assumptions
A1: Humans make relations, and they establish relationship by communicating. The messages
transmitted in the process is referred to as relational communication
A2: The development of an interpersonal impression of another person is based on the
information one obtains via nonverbal and/or verbal‐textual channels over the course of several
interactions.
A3: The relationship develops or regresses according to how the interactants are perceived during
the interactions.
A4: Relational messages are transmitted (i.e. encoded and decoded) by nonverbal and/or verbal,
linguistic, and textual manipulations
A5: In CMC, messages take longer to process than do those sent face‐to‐face.
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The development of interpersonal impressions (as in perceptions) among previously unacquainted
1 interactants requires more time in CMC than in face‐to‐face interactions, since CMC takes longer to
exchange relevant information (Assumption 2 & 5).
The Foundations of the SIP Theory:
Personalised communication (based on interpersonal knowledge of others) takes longer to emerge in CMC
2 than in face‐to‐face interactions. In other words, it takes time to get personal via CMC (Assumption 2 &
5).
Propositions
3 Relational communication changes as the number of exchanges increases (Assumption 3 & 4).
Relational communication in initial interactions is different than that in later interactions (Assumption 3
4 &5, Proposition 1).
Changes in relational communication will take longer to accrue in CMC than in face‐to‐face interactions.
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Hyperpersonal
The concept of hyperpersonal communication describes the
way in which online communication sometimes surpasses the
level of affection and emotion of parallel face-to-
face communication.
