Digital and In-Person Interpersonal Emotion Regulation: The Role of Anxiety, Depression, and Stress

Interpersonal emotion regulation (IER) is the process by which individuals change their emotional experiences by socially interacting with others. While the literature on IER for in-person settings is growing, there is a dearth of research exploring IER in digital social interactions (i.e., via technology) – especially when considering the presence of psychopathology. The aim of this study was to compare perceived IER efficacy and use in digital versus in-person contexts and explore the impact that anxiety, depression, and stress have on IER. A sample of 93 university undergraduate students showed that participants perceived in-person IER as more efficacious than digital IER, and participants high in anxiety, depression, and stress tended to use both modalities of IER more than those low anxiety, depression, and stress. This study addresses a critical gap in our understanding of emotion regulation in digital environments and sheds light on how this is related to psychopathology and the psychotherapy experience.