1108 Online Communication and Social Engagement Jason D. Baker Regent University, USA Robert H. Woods Spring Arbor University, USA IntroductIon Early studies of online communication examined the predominantly textual nature of online communication (e.g., e-mail, discussion boards, chat rooms) and hypoth- esized that the reduced number of available message channels would restrict the level of social engagement. In other words, by reducing interpersonal communica- tion to a textual experience, traditional nonverbal cues such as facial expression, eye contact, and gestures are eliminated. As Kiesler, Siegel, and McGuire (1984) stated in an early study of computer-mediated com- munication, "Once people have electronic access, their Social presence theory hypothesizes that reducing the number of communication channels available would correspondingly reduce the focus on the other person, thus making interactions less personal. Since online communication has been primarily text-based, such researchers posited that computer-mediated commu- nication is low in social presence. Hiltz and Turoff (1993) similarly stated that in face-to-face (FtF or F2F) communication, a person simultaneously received information through audible and visual channels. Audible channels contain the actual words spoken, their arrangement, and associated vocal- izations such as tone, accents, and "nonword" sounds;