Support at Our Fingertips
An Experimental Comparison of In-Person, Video, Voice and Text-Based Support
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13677635 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Susan Holtzman (0000-0002-1530-1653, University of British Columbia, corresponding author), Diana Lisi (0000-0002-6759-0776, University of British Columbia), Rebecca Godard (0000-0003-0752-6737, University of British Columbia), Anita Delongis (0000-0002-6508-3869, University of British Columbia) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Pages | 332941251409165-332941251409165 |
| Publication date | 2025-12-26 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Psychological Reports (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0033-2941 • E-ISSN: 1558-691X |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/00332941251409165 |
| PMID | 41451595 |
| OpenAlex | W7117303178 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 121 |
Digital forms of communication afford users unprecedented access to supportive others during times of need. Yet there has been little experimental research that compares the nature and effectiveness of informal support provided through digital communication. In this lab-based experiment, 348 female young adults took part in a stressful task and were randomly assigned to receive support from a close female friend through (1) in-person communication, (2) video calling, (3) voice calling, (4) text messaging, or (5) a no-support control condition. In-person, video and voice communication resulted in similar perceived levels of received support, satisfaction with support, and affective outcomes of support. However, participants who received support through texting reported significantly lower positive affect and less laughter and smiling (compared to all other forms of communication). Text message support was also perceived as less empathetic and resulted in lower satisfaction (compared to in-person communication). The present study replicates and extends past research by identifying specific ways in which text-based support may fall short. In both research and clinical contexts, more work is needed to optimize this popular and convenient platform for the provision of social support
Affect (linguistics · Control (management · Emotional support · Laughter · Social support · Task (project management · Digital Mental Health Interventions · Media Influence and Health · Mental Health via Writing
Instant messages vs. speech
Channel Expansion Theory and the Experiential Nature of Media Richness Perceptions.
Interpersonal Effects in Computer-Mediated Interaction
Social sharing through interpersonal media
Influence of Social Support Received in Online and Offline Contexts on Satisfaction With Social Support and Satisfaction With Life
Emotional Mimicry as Social Regulation
Effect size estimates
The consequences of media multitasking for youth
Positive Affect and Health
Controllability of Stressful Events and Satisfaction With Spouse Support Behaviors
Stress and Social Support—in Search of Optimal Matching
Social Connection as a Public Health Issue
Social support concepts and measures
The ‘Trier Social Stress Test’ – A Tool for Investigating Psychobiological Stress Responses in a Laboratory Setting
Why Social Relationships Are Important for Physical Health
Two social lives
Understanding the Links Between Social Support and Physical Health
A Systematic Review of Social Presence
Organizational Information Requirements, Media Richness and Structural Design
The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it
Computer-Mediated Communication
Empathy, narcissism, alexithymia, and social media use
Facebook-based social support and health
Direct and Indirect Effects of Communication Channel and Perceived Affordances on Perceptions of Support
Different types of laughter and their function for emotion regulation in dyadic interactions
Adolescents’ real-time social and affective experiences of online and face-to-face interactions
When do smartphones displace face-to-face interactions and what to do about it
Emotional experiences in technology-mediated and in-person interactions
The relation between face‐to‐face and digital interactions and self‐esteem
Revisiting media richness theory for today and future
Put the Phone Down
How Do Communication and Technology Researchers Study the Internet
Gender differences in mediated communication
The Paradox of Received Social Support
The effects of text, audio, video, and in-person communication on bonding between friends
Putting laughter in context
One size does not fit all
A classification of controlled interpersonal affect regulation strategies
Communicating Social Support in Computer-mediated Contexts
Explaining Variations in the Effects of Supportive Messages A Dual-Process Framework
The Implications of Communication Technologies for Supportive Conversations
Effects of Duration and Laughter on Subjective Happiness Within Different Modes of Communication
Toward a More Robust Theory and Measure of Social Presence
Online we are all able bodied
Online Social Interactions Predict Academic and Emotional Adjustment in the Transition to University
How Adolescents Use Text Messaging Through their High School Years
The Impacts of Emoticons on Message Interpretation in Computer-Mediated Communication
Explaining the Relationships among Supportive Message Quality, Evaluations, and Outcomes
Contagious laughter
Any time and place? Digital emotional support for digital natives
Voice-only communication enhances empathic accuracy
Social power facilitates the effect of prosocial orientation on empathic accuracy
Invisible support and adjustment to stress
Distinguishing technologies for social interaction
Psychological pathways linking social support to health outcomes
Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis
Hahaha
The Implications of Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) for Social Support Message Processing and Outcomes
Computer-mediated communication (CMC) and social support
The perceived quality of social interactions differs by modality and purpose
Attachment orientations and reactivity to humor in a social support context
Long-distance texting
Positive humor in couples as interpersonal emotion regulation
Emotional Expression Online
Relational Messages Associated With Nonverbal Behaviors
Person-Centered Emotional Support and Gender Attributions in Computer-Mediated Communication
The Smartphone as a Pacifying Technology
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |