Interpersonal Media and Face-to-Face Communication: Relationship with Life Satisfaction and Loneliness

Jeffrey A. Hall; Jess Dominguez; Teodora Mihailova

doi:10.1007/s10902-022-00581-8

Interpersonal Media and Face-to-Face Communication: Relationship with Life Satisfaction and Loneliness

Jeffrey A. Hall, Jess Dominguez, Teodora Mihailova

Communication

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

24 Scopus citations

Abstract

Framed by need to belong theory, this study considers the role of communication modality, geographic proximity, and the number of close relationship partners to predict life satisfaction and loneliness. A quota sample of American adults (N = 1,869) completed four name generation tasks to identify up to 16 alters, resulting in four alters per participant (n = 7,471). Participants reported the frequency with which they communicated with each alter in the past year in person and through eight interpersonal media. Results suggest that number of relationship partners and frequency of face-to-face interaction were robust predictors of life satisfaction and loneliness. Those living alone faced significant threats to well-being. Video chat and voice call frequency were also associated with greater life satisfaction. Mediation analyses showed voice call frequency was indirectly associated with less loneliness through greater relationship maintenance satisfaction, while lean media was indirectly associated with greater loneliness through relationship maintenance frustration.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	331-350
Number of pages	20
Journal	Journal of Happiness Studies
Volume	24
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-022-00581-8
State	Published - Jan 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.

Funding

This research was supported by University of Kansas intramural funding GRF# 2160680. The authors report no conflicts of interest in the collection, analysis, or reporting of these data. All study procedures were approved by the University of Kansas Human Subjects Committee. All participants gave informed consent prior to completing study instruments.

Funders	Funder number
University of Kansas and University of Kansas Cancer Center	2160680
University of Kansas and University of Kansas Cancer Center

Keywords

interpersonal media
life satisfaction
loneliness
need to belong

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Social Sciences (miscellaneous)

Access to Document

10.1007/s10902-022-00581-8

Cite this

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Interpersonal Media and Face-to-Face Communication: Relationship with Life Satisfaction and Loneliness

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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