Learning to analyze an Internet interlocutor

[Father]

Social networks are a reflection on the Internet of communities of people represented in reality. Within these virtual associations, people interact with each other more often through written communication.

Recently, the interest of users of social networks in the analysis of the correspondence that they have with other participants has increased. There are several reasons for this: the growing growth of online fraudsters, difficulties in recognizing the motives of communication (friendship, sex, business, etc.), the desire to attract the attention of a certain type of people, and others.

The user sends a request for analysis, in which, as a rule, he formulates the purpose of his appeal, for which he needs this analysis.

Appeals can be combined into several groups:​

• help to understand the behavior of the interlocutor, his motives, desires
• relationship forecast (are people suitable for each other, what to expect in the future from communication)
• build a pattern of behavior with the interlocutor in order to achieve the desired goal (conclude a contract, "spin on a date")
• break off relations with minimal trauma for the interlocutor.
• change your communication style, learn to interact productively.

The brightest episode from the correspondence is selected for analysis. It must meet several conditions. The presented fragment should be large enough, that is, the correspondence is not one day, but several. It is good if the text contains material that "alarmed" the applicant, as well as if it contains several long-term topics raised in the conversation. These conditions are necessary in order to perform the most complete analysis of the text.

The customer of the correspondence also provides introductory information, outlining the social canvas in which the "recorded" dialogue unfolds. Gender and age of the interlocutors, in what relationship they are, what happened before this correspondence.

The first feature of text from social networks is its structure. The material is a "written on paper" dialogue, before the reading psychologist, several layers are unfolded for analysis at once: meaningful, procedural and personal.

Analysis of the meaningful layer of correspondence​

The psychologist understands the meaningful layer as the topics that are touched upon in the process of communication. To what extent these topics are interesting to both interlocutors, who often suggests topics for discussion, which topics are discussed longer. After analyzing these aspects, one can come to the following conclusions: which of the partners is the leader in the relationship, what topics are currently relevant and significant, how deep and trusting the conversation is.

When analyzing topics, one should take into account their nature. There are light topics: about nature, weather, everyday life. There are topics of "intense" conflicts, problems. Themes set the overall emotional experience of the correspondence. If there are topics that have been developed for a long enough time, then you can analyze the very dynamics of the topic development and the logical structure. Highlight the hero, the problematic content, the denouement, the way to solve the problem, why this topic arose.

Emoticons also belong to the meaningful layer, due to which mood is conveyed in written speech. In this case, the psychologist can compare the meaning of the statement and the emotional symbol that follows it. In the event that they diverge, we can talk about the repressed feelings of the interlocutor.

An indicator of a weak content load of a conversation, which means that a low interest in communication is a frequent loss in real life. The psychologist learns about such cases if the interlocutors periodically interrupt the conversation or respond with a significant delay (the marker is the time indicated next to the statement).

It is also of interest to study the motives of the correspondence, in addition to the declared open motives (to meet, support, take time, etc.) there are hidden motives (sex, assert itself, relieve tension, etc.). Motive is a driving force that guides a person's actions. As a rule, the ulterior motives do not appear immediately, they "hide" behind the recited. The indicators of their presence are the second layer of content. For example, the interlocutors conduct a conversation on neutral topics (books, movies, hobbies) and during the conversation one of them periodically touches on the topic of interest (meeting, sex, etc.) in the hope that the partner will "relax" and behave. In addition to neutral topics, they also use the technique of games and intrigues, the main condition for the interlocutor to become interested, to take the hook, so it will be easier to achieve their goal. Goals are not achieved immediately, at first, they receive little consent (for example, to transfer a conversation from a social network to a video chat system or to chat by SMS, etc.), then, keeping their attention, they move on. There are clubs, communities where they teach techniques of seduction, attention holding, etc.

Analysis of the procedural layer of correspondence​

Thanks to this layer, the psychologist draws conclusions about communication styles. Most often, there is a manipulative style, where the interlocutors, hiding their true motives, want to achieve a goal. At the same time, the classic scheme works in which the “persecutor”, having established contact and bringing the “victim” closer, inflicts his “blow” (jokes inappropriately, touches on sensitive topics, ridicules, attacks, etc.) forcing the interlocutor to make excuses. You can also find such communication styles as normalized (standardized) and partner. In the normalized style, there is an exchange of "duty" remarks. The interlocutors share safe information about themselves, talk about the weather. The most productive is the partnership style. Communicating people are open, trust each other, actively exchange information,

Analyzing the procedural layer of correspondence, the psychologist also sees the dynamics of the conversation itself. How do people establish contact at the beginning of communication, can they maintain it, what methods they use for this. How does the "collection of information" take place, who asks questions more often and which questions are more (open or closed). Do people use each other's words in the process of communication, do they remember what their partner said.

The analysis of conflicting correspondence requires special attention. The person who sends such a passage often wants to "achieve" the truth, so that he would be told who is to blame for the conflict and how to influence the partner. The psychologist cannot take any one side, he analyzes the very process of the conversation, whenever possible making his proposals on how to remove the conflict. Offers ways to resolve conflict situations.

As a rule, when chatting on social networks, people say goodbye easily, the word "bye" is sufficient, in the event that the separation is delayed, the psychologist can conclude that the conversation is of high importance.

Personal layer of correspondence​

One of the most difficult layers to analyze, since a psychologist makes assumptions based on one side of a person's manifestation, correspondence. At this stage of the analysis, special care is needed with the conclusions. What assumptions are possible? On the basis of the proposed material, the psychologist can draw a conclusion about the leading representative (visual, audial, kinesthetic) system of interlocutors and give recommendations which words are better to use in order to be "heard". To draw conclusions about extroversion if a person is emotional, asks more often, writes more, easily switches to different topics, that is, he is oriented outside. The opposite behavior will indicate a person's introversion. Determine the locus of control if you pay attention to a person.
After analyzing the correspondence for all three layers, the psychologist draws a conclusion based only on repeated data. The report is sent to the customer for the analysis of the correspondence, the psychologist guarantees the confidentiality of his work. The customer has the right to do with the information at his own discretion.

The second feature of correspondence from social networks is its phantom. Despite the fact that the interlocutors receive responses to their remarks in real time, they cannot see each other, which means that the entire layer of non-verbal information remains hidden. The interlocutors can come up with different names, roles, age, write false information, hide their feelings. Analyzing the correspondence, there is practically no way to say whether a person is hiding his true face or not. The only thing that can give out is not the accuracy of the story, all sorts of misprints, this happens if the legend is badly invented. Manipulative communication style can also suggest the hidden intentions of the interlocutor.

The third psychological feature of correspondence in social networks is suggestibility. When analyzing the correspondence, one can clearly see how inclined people are to suggestion, how easy it is to influence the consciousness of the interlocutor. Such a person easily changes his point of view, while without criticism he perceives the beliefs and attitudes of his partner, easily becomes infected with other people's emotions and moods. The social network facilitates the possibility of suggestion, this happens due to the fact that a person does not see a real interlocutor, he only represents him, that is, all correspondence is built at the level of internal images. These images are created from the photographs seen on the page, from the memories of the timbre of the voice, if the conversation was in reality, etc. A person takes the main material for creating an image from his inner world. For example, a text written by a partner, is read in his own voice, which means that the reader himself places accents, colors words with emotions. It is difficult to say from a photograph how a person moves or what facial expressions are peculiar to him, which means that the person himself also “revives” the image of the interlocutor.

These features of the correspondence create an effect called “another in my head”. This other is populated there, practically without passing the critical filter of consciousness. In many ways, our desire to communicate with this or that person on a social network depends not so much on our biased choice of the interlocutor, but on the mood, on the very desire to communicate. There is no mysticism in this, this is the usual work of transferences and projections about which Freud wrote, and which is clearly visible in the analysis of correspondence.

It should be emphasized that the analysis of correspondence from social networks is different from the analysis of letters. In the first case, we have a dialogue of people, they exchange remarks here and now. The letter is delayed in time, it is a message from one person to another from the past to the future. The letter has a complete structure, while the dialogue consists of many lines. Traditionally, it is believed that more information can be obtained precisely from the analysis of the correspondence of dialogues, since people interact with each other. Letters are more often a conversation with oneself, although the words are addressed to the interlocutor.

When starting to analyze correspondence from social networks, it is important to remember the limitations that this way of communicating between people imposes and not to make categorical conclusions. Keeping in mind the client's request, the psychologist will be able to clearly structure the analyzed material and in the correct form communicate the information of interest to the customer.