The internet today is dominated by interpersonal interactions. This has led to electronic word-of-mouth becoming an influential source of information to the modern consumer. This study adds to the knowledge of interpersonal online communication behavior. A research framework consisting of the attribution theory and the dialectical thinking theory was developed. Threads from a popular food forum were then analyzed using netnography. The results show that individuals use positive and negative attributions towards oneself or another to help strengthen statements made online. In addition, dialectical posts elicit more conversation than do non-dialectical posts.
The internet today is dominated by interpersonal interactions. This has led to electronic word-of-mouth becoming an influential source of information to the modern consumer. This study adds to the knowledge of interpersonal online communication behavior. A research framework consisting of the attribution theory and the dialectical thinking theory was developed. Threads from a popular food forum were then analyzed using netnography. The results show that individuals use positive and negative attributions towards oneself or another to help strengthen statements made online. In addition, dialectical posts elicit more conversation than do non-dialectical posts.