These slides were put together for a research project in a "Language and Technology" course taught at Cornell University. They were then edited for their presentation at CHI2011 in Vancouver on May 10, 2011.

1. I Said Your Name in an Empty Room:
Grieving and Continuing Bonds on
Facebook
Emily Getty
Jessica Cobb
Meryl Gabeler
Christine Nelson
Ellis Weng
Jeffrey Hancock
CHI 2011
Vancouver, BC

2. Front or Back Stage Grieving?
- Social life with
metaphor of drama
- Grief is a back stage
emotion, individuals can
experience relief when it
is bought to the forefront

3. Front or Back Stage Grieving?
- Social life with
metaphor of drama
- Grief is a back stage
emotion, individuals can
experience relief when it
is bought to the forefront
‐ Public expression of grief
‐ Social support
‐ Story telling

4. Continuing Bonds or Letting Go?
Mourners must let go to
heal
VS
Maintaining a relationship
with the deceased is
beneficial

5. Posts Translated
Collected
analyzed LIWC
wall posts Developed Mixed
LinguisCc results into
from 11 a script to models
Inquiry & several
deceased preprocess staCsCcal
Word indices
Facebook the posts. analysis.
Count matching
users.
(LIWC). predicCons

6. Front‐Stage Grieving
% Sorrow and Grief Words
Still can’t believe
your gone… have so
much I wanna tell
you and it hurts to
know your not there
=( Miss you buddy

7. Front‐Stage Grieving
% Sorrow and Grief Words
• Sad emoCon terms (LIWC)
Still can’t believe
your gone… have so
much I wanna tell
you and it hurts to
know your not there
=( Miss you buddy

8. Front‐Stage Grieving
Funeral image here
% Sorrow and Grief Words
Series 1
4.50
4.00
3.50
Still can’t believe
3.00 your gone… have so
2.50 much I wanna tell
2.00 you and it hurts to
1.50 know your not there
1.00
=( Miss you buddy
0.50
0.00
Pre‐Passing Post‐Passing

9. Front‐Stage Grieving
Funeral image here
% Social OrientaCon Words
I was thinking about
you… and then stupid
facebook told me to send
you a message… but I
guess writing this on
your wall means that
someone will read it…
and know that they
aren’t alone in their
sorrow

10. Front‐Stage Grieving
Funeral image here
% Social OrientaCon Words
• Social dimension (LIWC) I was thinking about
you… and then stupid
facebook told me to send
you a message… but I
guess writing this on
your wall means that
someone will read it…
and know that they
aren’t alone in their
sorrow

11. Front‐Stage Grieving
Funeral image here
% Social OrientaCon Words
Series 1
40 I was thinking about
35
you… and then stupid
30
facebook told me to send
25
you a message… but I
20
guess writing this on
15
your wall means that
10
5
someone will read it…
0
and know that they
Pre‐Passing Post‐Passing aren’t alone in their
sorrow

12. Front‐Stage Grieving
Funeral image here
% PosiCve Memory
… Even tho my heart is
broken I can’t help but
laugh at the memories I
have with u… like u
running out to the pool
in ur speedo! Hahaha
everyone was cracking
up! And as usual it was
you who made us all
laugh! …

13. Front‐Stage Grieving
Funeral image here
% PosiCve Memory
• RaCo verb to noun … Even tho my heart is
broken I can’t help but
laugh at the memories I
have with u… like u
running out to the pool
in ur speedo! Hahaha
everyone was cracking
up! And as usual it was
you who made us all
laugh! …

14. Front‐Stage Grieving
Funeral image here
% PosiCve Memory
• RaCo verb to noun … Even tho my heart is
• Past tense verbs broken I can’t help but
laugh at the memories I
have with u… like u
running out to the pool
in ur speedo! Hahaha
everyone was cracking
up! And as usual it was
you who made us all
laugh! …

15. Front‐Stage Grieving
Funeral image here
% PosiCve Memory
• RaCo verb to noun … Even tho my heart is
• Past tense verbs broken I can’t help but
• PosiCve emoCon words laugh at the memories I
have with u… like u
running out to the pool
in ur speedo! Hahaha
everyone was cracking
up! And as usual it was
you who made us all
laugh! …

16. Front‐Stage Grieving
Funeral image here
% PosiCve Memory
Series 1
20 … Even tho my heart is
18
16 broken I can’t help but
14 laugh at the memories I
12 have with u… like u
10
8 running out to the pool
6 in ur speedo! Hahaha
4 everyone was cracking
2
0
up! And as usual it was
Pre‐Passing Post‐Passing you who made us all
laugh! …

17. LeWng Go or ConCnuing Bonds?
Funeral image here

18. LeWng Go or ConCnuing Bonds?
Funeral image here
Non‐immediacy Index
“Anytime someone asks
me why I want to be a
• arCcles teacher, I think of you
and smile. Thanks for
inspiring me. I still miss
you and I always will!”

19. LeWng Go or ConCnuing Bonds?
Funeral image here
Non‐immediacy Index
“Anytime someone asks
me why I want to be a
• arCcles teacher, I think of you
• six le[er words and smile. Thanks for
inspiring me. I still miss
you and I always will!”

20. LeWng Go or ConCnuing Bonds?
Funeral image here
Non‐immediacy Index
“Anytime someone asks
me why I want to be a
+ arCcles teacher, I think of you
+ six le[er words and smile. Thanks for
‐ 1st person singular inspiring me. I still miss
you and I always will!”

21. LeWng Go or ConCnuing Bonds?
Funeral image here
Non‐immediacy Index
“Anytime someone asks
me why I want to be a
+ arCcles teacher, I think of you
+ six le[er words and smile. Thanks for
‐ 1st person singular inspiring me. I still miss
‐ discrepancy words you and I always will!”

22. LeWng Go or ConCnuing Bonds?
Funeral image here
Non‐immediacy Index
“Anytime someone asks
me why I want to be a
+ arCcles teacher, I think of you
+ six le[er words and smile. Thanks for
‐ 1st person singular inspiring me. I still miss
‐ discrepancy words you and I always will!”
‐ present tense verbs

23. Non‐immediate Series 1
6
4
2
0
‐2
‐4
‐6
‐8
Immediate
Pre‐Passing Post‐Passing

24. Front Stage Grieving Continuing Bonds

25. I Said Your Name in an Empty Room:
Grieving and Continuing Bonds on
Facebook
Emily Getty, erg29@cornell.edu
Jessica Cobb, jcc97@cornell.edu
Meryl Gabeler, mag359@cornell.edu
Christine Nelson, cln28@cornell.edu
Ellis Weng, ew82@cornell.edu
Jeffrey Hancock, jeff.hancock@cornell.edu
CHI 2011
Vancouver, BC

26. “i miss you so much. sometimes i just need you to
make me laugh.”
“Merry Christmas! Thanks for the visit
lastnight... always good to see you in my
dreams.”
“i wish the world had more people like you
in it. you know i love you.”
“thinking about you today. miss u.”