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The quality of face-to-face and digitally mediated social interactions : two experience sampling studies exploring the moderating role of physical location, interaction partner familiarity, and interaction purpose

Aurelio Fernández Zapico (UGent) , Timon Elmer, Charo Sádaba, Javier García-Manglano and Mariek Vanden Abeele (UGent)
(2025) JOURNAL OF COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION. 30(2).
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Abstract
This study examines how communication modality influences social interaction quality and its contingency on three other situational characteristics: physical location, partner familiarity, and interaction purpose. Data from two experience sampling studies including 385 Spanish emerging adults and 10,203 social interaction reports revealed that compared to face-to-face interactions, phone calls were rated higher, video calls showed no significant difference, and text-based and social media interactions (e.g., commenting) were rated lower. However, other situational factors mattered. For example, video calls at home were perceived as higher in quality than face-to-face, whereas face-to-face was superior outside the home. For partner familiarity, social media interactions with weak (vs. strong) ties were of significantly lower quality. For interaction purpose, texting was superior to face-to-face in leveraging social interaction quality when having negative (vs. maintenance) interactions. Combined, the results thus plead for greater consideration of the situation when examining the effects of (mediated) interpersonal communication.
Keywords
social interaction quality, modality, situation, interaction partner, familiarity, interaction purpose, BELONG, MOMENTARY

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MLA
Fernández Zapico, Aurelio, et al. “The Quality of Face-to-Face and Digitally Mediated Social Interactions : Two Experience Sampling Studies Exploring the Moderating Role of Physical Location, Interaction Partner Familiarity, and Interaction Purpose.” JOURNAL OF COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION, vol. 30, no. 2, 2025, doi:10.1093/jcmc/zmaf004.
APA
Fernández Zapico, A., Elmer, T., Sádaba, C., García-Manglano, J., & Vanden Abeele, M. (2025). The quality of face-to-face and digitally mediated social interactions : two experience sampling studies exploring the moderating role of physical location, interaction partner familiarity, and interaction purpose. JOURNAL OF COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION, 30(2). https://doi.org/10.1093/jcmc/zmaf004
Chicago author-date
Fernández Zapico, Aurelio, Timon Elmer, Charo Sádaba, Javier García-Manglano, and Mariek Vanden Abeele. 2025. “The Quality of Face-to-Face and Digitally Mediated Social Interactions : Two Experience Sampling Studies Exploring the Moderating Role of Physical Location, Interaction Partner Familiarity, and Interaction Purpose.” JOURNAL OF COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION 30 (2). https://doi.org/10.1093/jcmc/zmaf004.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Fernández Zapico, Aurelio, Timon Elmer, Charo Sádaba, Javier García-Manglano, and Mariek Vanden Abeele. 2025. “The Quality of Face-to-Face and Digitally Mediated Social Interactions : Two Experience Sampling Studies Exploring the Moderating Role of Physical Location, Interaction Partner Familiarity, and Interaction Purpose.” JOURNAL OF COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION 30 (2). doi:10.1093/jcmc/zmaf004.
Vancouver
1.
Fernández Zapico A, Elmer T, Sádaba C, García-Manglano J, Vanden Abeele M. The quality of face-to-face and digitally mediated social interactions : two experience sampling studies exploring the moderating role of physical location, interaction partner familiarity, and interaction purpose. JOURNAL OF COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION. 2025;30(2).
IEEE
[1]
A. Fernández Zapico, T. Elmer, C. Sádaba, J. García-Manglano, and M. Vanden Abeele, “The quality of face-to-face and digitally mediated social interactions : two experience sampling studies exploring the moderating role of physical location, interaction partner familiarity, and interaction purpose,” JOURNAL OF COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION, vol. 30, no. 2, 2025.
@article{01JRWY9EK6W6J5T4N7NNED0CNF,
  abstract     = {{This study examines how communication modality influences social interaction quality and its contingency on three other situational characteristics: physical location, partner familiarity, and interaction purpose. Data from two experience sampling studies including 385 Spanish emerging adults and 10,203 social interaction reports revealed that compared to face-to-face interactions, phone calls were rated higher, video calls showed no significant difference, and text-based and social media interactions (e.g., commenting) were rated lower. However, other situational factors mattered. For example, video calls at home were perceived as higher in quality than face-to-face, whereas face-to-face was superior outside the home. For partner familiarity, social media interactions with weak (vs. strong) ties were of significantly lower quality. For interaction purpose, texting was superior to face-to-face in leveraging social interaction quality when having negative (vs. maintenance) interactions. Combined, the results thus plead for greater consideration of the situation when examining the effects of (mediated) interpersonal communication.}},
  articleno    = {{zmaf004}},
  author       = {{Fernández Zapico, Aurelio and Elmer, Timon and Sádaba, Charo and García-Manglano, Javier and Vanden Abeele, Mariek}},
  issn         = {{1083-6101}},
  journal      = {{JOURNAL OF COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION}},
  keywords     = {{social interaction quality,modality,situation,interaction partner,familiarity,interaction purpose,BELONG,MOMENTARY}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{14}},
  title        = {{The quality of face-to-face and digitally mediated social interactions : two experience sampling studies exploring the moderating role of physical location, interaction partner familiarity, and interaction purpose}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1093/jcmc/zmaf004}},
  volume       = {{30}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}
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