Interaction Partners and Empathy in the Selection of Communication Channels During Meaningful Social Interactions

In today’s media landscape, there are an ever-expanding number of communication channels that people can use to communicate within their interpersonal relationships. What social and psychological factors are associated with the selection of communication channels in everyday life? Here we report on findings from an intensive longitudinal field study of undergraduate students (N = 1,423 participants; ecological momentary assessments = 27,644) that examined: (1) the role of interaction partners in the selection of communication channels and (2) the associations between channel selection and perceptions of empathy during meaningful social interactions. Our findings indicated a preference for media-rich channels, such as face-to-face and video communication, particularly when engaging with weak social ties, compared to strong social ties. In addition, the use of media-rich channels was linked to greater momentary perceptions of empathy. Specifically, face-to-face interactions (compared to computer-mediated), as well as video calls and phone calls (compared to direct messaging) were associated with greater perceptions of empathy. These findings support and extend Media Multiplexity Theory, Media Richness Theory, and Media Synchronicity Theory by examining them in the context of interpersonal communication. The findings also show that channel selection is associated with empathy perceptions, which has implications for how people navigate social connections in an increasingly digital environment.