This study reconceptualizes communication overload and builds a theoretical foundation to understand how this phenomenon applies in contemporary life. We build theory by relying on past research and using a Q-method to capture the subjective perspectives of people who experience communication overload. In our refinement of this abstract concept, we identified seven dimensions composing communication overload. The dimensions included: compromising message quality, having many distractions, using many information and communication technologies, pressuring for decisions, feeling responsible to respond, overwhelming with information, and piling up of messages. Our reconceptualization integrates disparate research, links the availability–expectation–pressure pattern to overload, and elaborates on communication quality, quantity, and generalized perceptions of feeling overwhelmed. The resulting formative theoretical model sets the stage for additional theorizing and empirical studies.

中文翻译：

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重新定义通信过载并建立理论基础

这项研究重新定义了沟通超负荷的概念，并为理解这种现象如何应用于当代生活奠定了理论基础。我们通过依赖过去的研究并使用 Q 方法来捕捉经历过沟通超负荷的人的主观观点来构建理论。在我们对这个抽象概念的细化过程中，我们确定了构成通信过载的七个维度。这些维度包括：影响信息质量、有很多干扰、使用许多信息和通信技术、对决策施加压力、感觉有责任做出回应、信息淹没以及信息堆积。我们的重新概念化整合了不同的研究，将可用性-期望-压力模式与过载联系起来，并详细阐述了沟通质量、数量、以及对感觉不知所措的普遍看法。由此产生的形成性理论模型为进一步的理论化和实证研究奠定了基础。