In the Flow of Life: Capturing Affective Socializing Dynamics Using a Wearable Sensor and Intensive Daily Diaries

Interpersonal socializing is important to many sociological outcomes, but assessing the affective dynamics within interactional contexts is extremely challenging methodologically. As a first step toward capturing socializing and affective outcomes concurrently, this pilot study (n = 118) combines in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Socius : sociological research for a dynamic world 2021-01, Vol.7
Main Authors: Zhang, Amy, Goosby, Bridget, Cheadle, Jacob E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Emotions
Friendship
Operational definitions
Pilot projects
Romantic relationships
Social dynamics
Sociological research
Sociology
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Summary:Interpersonal socializing is important to many sociological outcomes, but assessing the affective dynamics within interactional contexts is extremely challenging methodologically. As a first step toward capturing socializing and affective outcomes concurrently, this pilot study (n = 118) combines intensive daily surveys with a wearable sensor that tracked affective arousal. This approach allowed the operationalization of affect along its two primary dimensions, valence and arousal, which were then linked to periods socializing with a romantic partner, a best friend, and/or a group of friends. Although socializing predicted positive and negative affective valence concurrently in time, only socializing with groups of friends consistently predicted increased affective arousal. Findings for romantic partners and/or socializing with a close friend suggest that low arousal “downtime” with close intimates may also provide important social functions. This work demonstrates a new biosignaling approach to affective dynamics broadly relevant to emotion-related sociological research.
ISSN:2378-0231
2378-0231
DOI:10.1177/23780231211064009