PARALANGUAGE IN COMPUTERMEDIATED COMMUNICATION 
John Carey 
Alternate Media Center 
New York University 
This paper reports on some of the components of person 
to person communication mediated by computer conferenc- 
ing systems. Transcripts from two systems were 
analysed: the Electronic Information and Exchange 
System (EIES), based at the New Jersey Institute of 
Technology; and Planet, based at Infomedia Inc. in 
Palo Alto, California. The research focused upon 
the ways in which expressive communication is encoded 
by users of the medluml. 
i. INTRODUCTION 
The term paralanguage is used broadly in this report. 
It includes those vocal features outlined by Trager 
(1964) as well as the prosodic system of Crystal (1969). 
Both are concerned with the investigation of linguistic 
phenomena which generally fall outside the boundaries 
of phonology, morphology and lexical analysis. These 
phenomena are the voice qualities and tones which 
communicate expressive feelings, indicate the age, 
health and sex of a speaker, modify the meanings of 
words, and help to regulate interaction between speak- 
ers. 
Paralanguage becomes an issue in print communication 
when individuals attempt to transcribe (and analyse) 
an oral presentation, or write a script which is to be 
delivered orally. In addition, paralinguistlc analysis 
can be directed towards forms of print which mimic or 
contain elements of oral co~munlcatlon. These include 
comic strips, novels, graffitti, and computer confer- 
encing (see Crystal and Davy 1969). 
The research reported here is not concerned with a 
direct comparison between face-to-face and computer 
mediated communication. Such a comparison is useful, 
e.g. it can help us to understand how one form borrows 
elements from the other (see section 5.), or aid in 
the selectldn of the medium which is more appropriate 
for a given task. However, the intent here is simpler: 
to isolate some of the paralingulstic features which 
are present in computer mediated communication and to 
begin to map the patterning of those features. 
simple message sending (.electronic mail), task related 
conferencing, and fun (e.g. Jokes and conferences on 
popular topics). Bills for usage were paid by the 
organizations involved, not the individuals themselves. 
These elements within the frame may affect the style of 
interaction. 
One concern in frame analysis is to understand differen- 
ces in a situation which make a difference. Clearly, 
there is a need to investigate conditions not included 
in this study in order to gain a broader understanding 
of paralinguistic usage. Among the conditions which 
might make a difference are: the presence of a secretary 
in the flow of information; usage based upon narrow 
task communications only; and situations where there is 
a direct cost to the user. 
3. FEATURES 
The following elements have been isolated within the 
transcripts and given a preliminary designation as 
paralinguistic features. 
3.1. VOCAL SPELLING 
These features include non standard spellings of words 
which bring attention to sound qualities. The spelling 
may serve to mark a regional accent or an idiosyncratic 
manner of speech. Often, the misspelling involves 
repetition of a vowel (drawl) or a final consonant 
(released or held consonant, with final stress). In 
addition, there are many examples of non standard con- 
tractions. A single contraction in a message appears 
to bring attention (stress) to the word. A series of 
contractions in a single message appears to serve as a 
tempo marker, indicating a quick pace in composing the 
message. 
/biznls/ 
/weeeeell/ 
/breakkk/ 
2. THE FRAME 
Computer conferencing may be described as a frame of 
social activity in Goffman's terms (1974). The computer 
conferencing frame is characterized by an exchange of 
print communication between or among individuals. That 
is, it may involve person to person or person to group 
communication. The information is typed on a computer 
terminal, transmitted via a telephone line to a central 
computer where it is processed and stored until the 
intended receiver (also using a computer terminal and 
a telephone llne) enters the system. The received 
information is either printed on paper or displayed on 
a television screen. The exchange can be in real time, 
if the users are on the system simultaneously and 
linked together in a common notepad. More typically, 
the exchange is asynchronous with several hours or a 
few days lapse between sending and receiving. 
In all of the transcripts examined for this study, the 
composer of the message typed it into the system. 
Further, the systems were used for many purposes: 
/y'all/ 
/Miami Dade Cmt7 Coll Life Lab Pgm/ 
Figure i. Examples of Vocal Spelling 
Soma of the spellings shown above can occur through a 
glitch in the system or an unintended error by the 
composer of the message. Typically, the full context 
helps the reader to discern if the spelling was 
intentional. 
3.2. LEXICAL SURROGATES 
Often, people use words to describe their "tone of 
voice" in the message. This may be inserted as a 
parenthetical comment within a sentence, in which case 
it is likely to mark that sentence alone. Alternative- 
ly, it may be located at the beginning or end of a 
message. In these instances, it often provides a tone 
for the entire message. 
1. The research was supported by DHEW Grant No. 54-P- 
71362/2/2-01 
In addition, vocal segregates (e.g. uh huh, hmmm, yuk 
yuk) are written commonly within the body of texts. 
67 
/What was decided? I like the idea, but 
then again, it was mine Oshe said blush- 
ingly)./ 
/Boo, boo Horror of horrors! ti65 
DOESN'T seem to cure all the problems 
involved in transmitting files./ 
Figure 2. Examples of Lexlcal Surrogates 
3.3. SPATIAL ARRAYS 
Perhaps the most s~rlklng feature of computer confer- 
encing is the spatial arrangement of words. While 
some users borrow a standard letter format, others 
treat the page space as a canvass on which they paint 
wi~h words and letters, or an advertisement layout 
in which they are free to leave space between words, 
skip lines, and paragraph each new sentence. 
Some spatial arrays are actual graphics: arrangements 
of letters to create a picture. Hiltz and Turoff (1978) 
note the heavy use of graphics at Christmas time, 
when people send greeting cards through the conferencing 
system. Zn day to day messaging, users often leave 
space between words (indicating pause, or setting off 
a word or phrase), run words together (quickening of 
tempo, onomatopoeic effect), skip lines within a 
paragraph (~o setoff a word, phrase or sentence), and 
crea~e paragraphs to lend visual support to the entire 
message or items within it. In addition, many messages 
contain headlines, as in newspaper writing. 
/One of our units here Just makes an 
awfulhowllng noise. / 
0OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS/ 
/$SSSSSS$$$$$SS$$$$S$$$$SSSS$$SSSSS$ 
When the next bill comes in from 
EIES/Telanet, you may also be interested/ 
Figure 3. Examples of Spatlal Arrays 
3.4. MANIPULATION OF GRAMMATICAL MARKERS 
Gr-,,-m~ical markers such as capitalization, periods, 
ccnmlaa, quotation marks, and parentheses are manipulated 
by users to add stress, indicaue pause, modify the tone 
of a lexlcal item and signal a chan~e of voice by the 
composer. For eY-mple, a user will employ three 
exclamation marks at the end of a sentence ~o lend 
incensity to his point. A word in the middle of a 
sentence (or one sentence in a message) will be 
capitalized and ~hereby receive stress. A series of 
des! os between syllables of a word can serve to hold 
the preceding syllable and indicate s~ress upon it or 
the succeeding syllable. Parentheses and quotation 
marks are used commonly to indicate that the words 
contained within them are to be heard with a different 
tone than the rest of the message. A series of periods 
are used to indicate pause, as well as to indicate 
in~ernal and terminal Junctures. For example, in some 
messages, composers do not use commas. At points where 
a com-m is appropriate, three periods are employed. At 
the end of the sentence, several periods (the number 
can vary from 4 to more than 20) are used. This system 
indicates to ~he reader hor.h the grammatical boundary 
and the length of pause between words. 
The Electronic Information and Exchange System employs 
some of these gr---,-tical marker manipulations in the 
interface between user and system. For example, they 
instruct a user to respond with question marks when he 
does not know what to do at a comm"nd point. One 
question mark indicates "I don't understand what EIES 
wants here," and will yield a brief explanation from 
the system. Two question marks indicate "I am ver 7 
confused" and yield a longer explanation. Three ques- 
tion marks indicate "I am totally lost" and put the user 
in direct touch with the system monitor. 
/Welcome Aboardl::~/ 
/This background is VERY important, since it 
makes many people (approprlately, I think) 
aware about idea./ 
/THERE IS STILL SOME CONFUSION ON DATES FOR 
PHILADELPHIA. MIKE AND I ARE PERPLEXED:?/ 
/At this point, I think we should include a 
BROAD range of ideas -- even if they look 
unworkable. / 
/Paul...three quick points ...... first...the paper/ 
Figure 4. Manlpulaclon of 
Gra~natical Markers 
3.5. MINUS FEATURES 
The absence of certain features or expected work in 
composition may also lend a tone to the message. For 
example, a user may not correct spelling errors or 
glitches introduced by the system. Similarly, he may 
pay no attention to paragraphing or capltalization. The 
absence of such features, particularly if they are 
clustered together in a single message, can convey a 
relaxed tone of familiarity with the receiver or quick- 
ness of pacing (e.g. when the sender has a lot of work 
to do and must compose the message quickly). 
4. PATTERNING OF FEATURES 
Ig can be noted, first, that some features mark a short 
syllabic or polysyllabic segment (e.g. capitalization, 
contraction, and vocal segregates), while others mark 
full sentences or the entire message (e.g. a series of 
exclamation points, letter graphics, or an initial 
parenthetical coeN"ent). Second, it is revealing that 
many of these features have an analogic structure: in 
some manner, they are llke the tone they represent. 
For example, a user may employ more or fewer periods, 
more or fewer question marks ro indicate degrees of 
pause or degrees of perplexity. Paralanguage in every- 
day conversation is highly analogic and represents 
feelings, moods and states of health which do not 
(apparently) lend themselves to the digital structure of 
words. 
Parallngulstic features in computer conferenclng occur, 
often, at points of change in a message: change of pace, 
change of topic, change of ~one. In addition, many of 
the features rely upon a contrastive structure to 
co---unicate meaning. That is, a message which is typed 
in all caps does not communicate greater intensity or 
stress. Capitalization must occur contrastlvely over 
one or two words in an othertrlse normal sentence 
or over one or two sentences in a message which contains 
some normal capitalization. 
Most paralinguistlc features can have more than one 
meaning. Reviewed in is lation, a feature might indi- 
cate a relaxed tone, an intimate relation with the 
receiver, or simply sloppiness in composition. Readers 
must rely upon the surrounding context (both words and 
other paralinguistic features) to narrow the range of 
possible meanings. 
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The intended receiver of a message, as well as an 
outsider who attempts to analyse transcripts, must cope 
with the interpretation of paralinguistic features. 
Initially, the reader must distinguish glitches in the 
system and unintended typing errors from intentional 
use of repetition, spacing, etc. Subsequently, the 
reader must examine the immediate context of the feature 
and compare the usage with similar patterns in the 
same message, in other messages by the composer, and/or 
in other messages by the general population of users. 
5. DEVELOPMENT OF A CODE 
The findings presented in this study are taken from a 
limited set of contexts. For this reason, they must 
be regarded as a first approximation of paralinguistic 
code structure in computer conferencing. Moreover, the 
findings do not suggest that a clear code exists for 
the community of users. Rather, the code appears to 
be in a stage of development and learning. 
The study has helped to define some differences among 
users which appear to make a difference in the pare- 
linguistic features they employ. In the corpus of 
transcripts examined, usage varied between new and 
experienced participants, as well as between infrequent 
and frequent participants. Generally, experienced and 
frequent participants employed more paralinguistic 
features. However, idiosyncratic patterns appear to 
be more important in determining usage. The findings 
serve more to define questions for subsequent study 
than to provide answers about user variations. 
In addition, It is clear that the characteristics of 
the computer terminals (TI 745s, primarily), as well 
as system characteristics, provided many of the compon- 
ents or "bricks" with which paralinguistlc features 
were constructed. For example, the repeat key on the 
terminal allowed users to create certain forms of 
graphics. Also, star keys, dollar signs, colons and 
other available keys were employed to communicate 
paralinguistic information. System terms to describe a 
mode of operation (e.g. notepad, scratchpad, message, 
conference) may also influence development of a code 
of usage by suggesting a more formal or informal 
exchange. 
Finally, it may be noted that early in their usage, 
some participants appeared to borrow formats from other 
media with which they were familiar (e.g. business 
letters, telegrams, and telephone conversations). Over 
time, patterns of usage converged somewhat. However, 
idiosyncratic variation remained strong. 
6. CONCLUSION 
A few conclusions can be drawn from this study. First, 
the presence of paralinguistic features in computer 
conferencing and the effort by users to communicate 
more information than can be carried by the words 
themselves, suggest that people feel it is important 
to be able to communicate tonal and expressive informa- 
tion. Second, it is not easy to communicate this 
information. Users must work in computer conferencing 
to communicate information about their feelings and 
state of health which naturally accompanies speech. 
While there does not appear to be a unified and identl- 
fiable code of paralinguistic features within confer- 
encing systems or among users of the systems, the 
collective behavior of participants may be creating 
one. 
REFERENCES 
Crystal, David Prosodic Systems and Intonation in 
English. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 1969. 
Crystal, David and Davy, Derek Investigating English 
Style. Bloomington: Indiana University Press 1969, 
Goffman, Erring Frame Analysis. New York: Harper and 
Row 1974, 
Hiltz, Starr Roxanne and Turoff, Murray The Network 
Nation. Reading, Massachusetts: Addlson-Wesley 1978. 
Trager, George "Paralanguage: A First Approximation," 
in Dell Hymes (ed.) Language in Culture and Society. 
New York: Harper and Row 1964. 
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