Getting to Know You: Using Text Network Analysis to Identify Key Topics and Word Choice in Initial Online Interactions

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Many online spaces allow individuals to connect and get to know each other without ever meeting face-to-face. This research explored the contents of the conversations between individuals who met online (N = 79 participants, 158 chats), analyzing their first conversation and a second conversation two days later. Text network analysis was used to identify key words and topic clusters in conversations; qualitative analysis was used in finding exemplars for topic clusters. Findings reveal that individuals shared more personal information at time 2, used positively valenced words throughout their conversations, and engaged in support seeking as they interacted with their chat partner.