ABSTRACT
The theory of electronic propinquity, originally theorized by F. Korzenny, is a phenomenon of mediated communication where interactants experience a psychological feeling of nearness, which is thought to vary based on the communication channel. The measure of electronic propinquity demonstrates clear face validity; the adjectives clearly represent feelings of closeness experienced in interactions. However, these adjective choices are not specific to mediated interactions, as these varying degrees of closeness could be experienced in face-to-face contexts as well. Some studies have also used the measure of electronic propinquity to operationalize the construct of social presence, which is related but can also be a distinct construct. Social presence has been described as “the perception of non-mediation”, which does not exactly match with a feeling of “psychological closeness” described in the original construct of propinquity. Correlating social presence and electronic propinquity together would provide evidence for convergent validity, but could also be a precarious choice.
