Empathy over and out?

In this study, we aim to investigate the empathetic resonance ability in online communication among young adults (18-24), a group of likely users of social media. For this purpose, a partner experiment is carried out (50 dyads), in which two different-sex participants ask each other emotionally important questions in a Skype chat (only text-based). Friends vs. non-friends as well as positive vs. negatively valenced question-answer episodes are compared. During the chat, facial electromyography, electrocardiography, and electrodermal activity are recorded to measure the level of psychophysiological synchronization.