Tracking real-time proximity in daily life: A new tool to examine social interactions.

ABSTRACT: Social interactions, spending time together, and relationships are important for individuals' well-being, with people feeling happier when they spend more time with others. So far, most information about the frequency and duration of spending time together is based on self-report questionnaires. Although recent technological innovations have stimulated the development of objective approaches for measuring physical proximity in humans in everyday life, these methods still have substantial limitations. Here we present a novel method, using Bluetooth low-energy beacons and a smartphone application, to measure the frequency and duration of dyads being in close proximity in daily life. This method can also be used to link the frequency and duration of proximity to the quality of interactions, b

SUBMITTER: Janssen LHC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11362181 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature