Synchrony and Asynchrony

Abstract This entry describes synchrony and asynchrony as the temporal modalities of different communication media. It reviews how these modalities affect a medium's contribution to communication behaviors. Each major communication form (oral, written/printed, electronic, and digital) is considered, with particular attention paid to the distinctions between synchrony and asynchrony in computer‐mediated communication (CMC). The entry concludes with a review of the significant research applications of synchrony and asynchrony in CMC studies and theory development.