In face-to-face interaction, moving with and mimicking the body movements of communication partners has been widely demonstrated to affect interpersonal processes, including feel- ings of affiliation and closeness. In this paper, we examine effects of movement and mimicry in robot-mediated communication. Participants were instructed to get to know their partner, a confederate, who interacted with them via a telepresence robot. The robot either (a) mimicked the participant's body orientation (mimicry condition), (b) mimicked pre-recorded movements of another participant (random movement condition), or (c) did not move during the interaction (static condition). Results showed that mimicry and random movement had similar effects on participants' perceptions of similarity and closeness to their partners and that these effects depend on the participant's gender and level of self-monitoring. The findings suggest that the social movements of a telepresence robot affect interpersonal processes and that these effects are shaped by individual differences.

Much research has investigated the uses and effects of new communication technologies in long-distance romantic relationships. Comparatively, however, the importance of these technologies within geographically close romantic relationships has been overlooked. The present study fills in this gap by examining the prevalence of media use in this context and its association with relational well-being. A survey of heterosexual undergraduates involved in proximal dating relationships (N = 211) shows that they used mobile media (phone calls, texting) to a significant extent to connect with partners on a daily basis, and that they reported high quality of communication when using these media. Further, the quality, but not quantity, of mobile communication was associated with partner idealization which, in turn, was associated with relational satisfaction. The results support and extend the Hyperpersonal model of online communication, and contribute to elucidating user practices and media effects within the critical domain of romantic relationships.