Quiring, Oliver; Schweiger, Wolfgang
(2008):
Interactivity: A review of the concept and a framework for analysis.
In: Communications - European Journal of Communication Research, Vol. 33, No. 2: pp. 147-167
|
![[img]](https://epub.ub.uni-muenchen.de/17675/1.hassmallThumbnailVersion/commun.2008.009.pdf)  Preview |
|
188kB |
Abstract
The terms `interactivity' and `interactive media' became significant buzz-words during the late 1980s and early 1990s when the multi-media euphoria fascinated politicians, economists, and researchers alike. However, right from the beginning of the scientific debate, the inconsistent usage of the term `interactivity' massively complicated the comparability of numerous empirical studies. This is where this article joins the discussion. First, the article sheds light on the terminological origins of `interactivity' and distinguishes the term from cognate expressions. Further, it restructures and extends existing findings on the basis of a new analysis framework which considers three levels of interactive communication (action level, level of subjective situation evaluation, and level of meaning exchange). Finally, it delivers a systematic overview of specific criteria of interactive communication.