Exploring the Emotional Experience During Instant Messaging Among Young Adults: An Experimental Study Incorporating Physiological Correlates of Arousal
Instant messaging (IM) is a highly diffused form of communication among younger populations, yet little is known about the emotional experience during IM. The present study aimed to investigate the emotional experience during IM by drawing on the Circumplex Model of Affect and measuring heart rate a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.840845/full |
| _version_ | 1818364529053007872 |
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| author | Anne-Linda Camerini Laura Marciano Anna Maria Annoni Anna Maria Annoni Alexander Ort Serena Petrocchi |
| author_facet | Anne-Linda Camerini Laura Marciano Anna Maria Annoni Anna Maria Annoni Alexander Ort Serena Petrocchi |
| author_sort | Anne-Linda Camerini |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Instant messaging (IM) is a highly diffused form of communication among younger populations, yet little is known about the emotional experience during IM. The present study aimed to investigate the emotional experience during IM by drawing on the Circumplex Model of Affect and measuring heart rate and electrodermal activity as indicators of arousal in addition to self-reported perceived emotional valence. Using an experimental design, we manipulated message latency (i.e., response after 1 min versus 7 min) and message valence (positive versus negative response). Based on data collected from 65 young adults (50% male; Mage = 23.28, SD = 3.75), we observed arousal as participants’ electrodermal activity levels increased from the time a fictitious peer started typing a response to the receipt of that response, especially in the delayed condition. Electrodermal activity levels also increased in both the positive and the negative message conditions. No changes were observed for heart rate. Participants’ self-report perceived emotional valence revealed that positive messages were evaluated as more pleasant and the peer as more available, while no difference in the self-report was found for message latency. These findings shed light on the emotional experience during IM by adding valuable insights on the physiological processes underlying the anticipation of social reward, but only during delayed IM exchange that can be observed in Human–Computer-Interaction. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T22:05:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-066c3bc12f48411bb31c1c71f0c12cd4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T22:05:49Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-066c3bc12f48411bb31c1c71f0c12cd42022-12-21T23:29:50ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782022-04-011310.3389/fpsyg.2022.840845840845Exploring the Emotional Experience During Instant Messaging Among Young Adults: An Experimental Study Incorporating Physiological Correlates of ArousalAnne-Linda Camerini0Laura Marciano1Anna Maria Annoni2Anna Maria Annoni3Alexander Ort4Serena Petrocchi5Institute of Public Health, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, SwitzerlandInstitute of Public Health, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, SwitzerlandInstitute of Public Health, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, SwitzerlandDepartment of Business Economics, Health and Social Care, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Manno, SwitzerlandDepartment of Health Sciences and Medicine, University of Lucerne, Lucerne, SwitzerlandFaculty of Communication, Culture and Society, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, SwitzerlandInstant messaging (IM) is a highly diffused form of communication among younger populations, yet little is known about the emotional experience during IM. The present study aimed to investigate the emotional experience during IM by drawing on the Circumplex Model of Affect and measuring heart rate and electrodermal activity as indicators of arousal in addition to self-reported perceived emotional valence. Using an experimental design, we manipulated message latency (i.e., response after 1 min versus 7 min) and message valence (positive versus negative response). Based on data collected from 65 young adults (50% male; Mage = 23.28, SD = 3.75), we observed arousal as participants’ electrodermal activity levels increased from the time a fictitious peer started typing a response to the receipt of that response, especially in the delayed condition. Electrodermal activity levels also increased in both the positive and the negative message conditions. No changes were observed for heart rate. Participants’ self-report perceived emotional valence revealed that positive messages were evaluated as more pleasant and the peer as more available, while no difference in the self-report was found for message latency. These findings shed light on the emotional experience during IM by adding valuable insights on the physiological processes underlying the anticipation of social reward, but only during delayed IM exchange that can be observed in Human–Computer-Interaction.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.840845/fullinstant messagingemotional arousalexperimentyoung adultsheart rateelectrodermal activity |
| spellingShingle | Anne-Linda Camerini Laura Marciano Anna Maria Annoni Anna Maria Annoni Alexander Ort Serena Petrocchi Exploring the Emotional Experience During Instant Messaging Among Young Adults: An Experimental Study Incorporating Physiological Correlates of Arousal Frontiers in Psychology instant messaging emotional arousal experiment young adults heart rate electrodermal activity |
| title | Exploring the Emotional Experience During Instant Messaging Among Young Adults: An Experimental Study Incorporating Physiological Correlates of Arousal |
| title_full | Exploring the Emotional Experience During Instant Messaging Among Young Adults: An Experimental Study Incorporating Physiological Correlates of Arousal |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the Emotional Experience During Instant Messaging Among Young Adults: An Experimental Study Incorporating Physiological Correlates of Arousal |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the Emotional Experience During Instant Messaging Among Young Adults: An Experimental Study Incorporating Physiological Correlates of Arousal |
| title_short | Exploring the Emotional Experience During Instant Messaging Among Young Adults: An Experimental Study Incorporating Physiological Correlates of Arousal |
| title_sort | exploring the emotional experience during instant messaging among young adults an experimental study incorporating physiological correlates of arousal |
| topic | instant messaging emotional arousal experiment young adults heart rate electrodermal activity |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.840845/full |
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