Social affiliation and the achievement of ontological security through interpersonal and mass communication

Following the proposal of Rubin & Rubin (1985) that scholars turn their attention to the study of the intersection between mass and interpersonal communication, this paper reviews literature comparing different forms and contexts of communication. Underlying the motivations for both mediated and face‐to‐face communication is a basic need for social affiliation. The need for social affiliation is so central for communication because it stems from, and is necessary for, understanding who we are in relation to the world around us, thus enabling us to achieve what Silverstone (1993) terms “ontological security.” That is, our desire for security underlies a need for social affiliation that leads us to communicate with others in different ways. It is hoped that this proposition may form the basis for a more integrative theory of communication that may transcend specific media, content, or contexts. The differences in the ways various modes of communication serve to create such an understanding are explored and compared along five dimensions: intimacy, accessibility, control, relaxation, and identification. Finally, suggestions for the extension of this proposition are discussed.