Technology-Mediated Communication in Familial Relationships: Moderated-Mediation Models of Isolation and Loneliness.

ABSTRACT:

Background and objectives

We examined whether technology-mediated communication has functional or emotional equivalence to face-to-face (FtF) contact in familial relationships, by scrutinizing the effects of phone, text/e-mail, and video contact on isolation and loneliness.

Research design and methods

We tested whether FtF contact with a relative would mediate the pathway between proximity to family and (i) isolation and (ii) loneliness. We then tested hypotheses that telephone, text/e-mails, and video contact would moderate this mediated pathway. We compared models for younger (<75) and older (≥75) cohorts, expecting to observe moderation effects for text/e-mail and video contact in the younger cohort only. Data were drawn from Wave 2 of CFAS Wales (United Kingdom) study (N

SUBMITTER: Burholt V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8059137 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature