Our new study explored how everyday social interactions affect emotional well-being over time. Using experience sampling methods, 80 participants completed over 3,700 emotional assessments across two weeks, while Bluetooth scans (over 123,000) served as a passive measure of nearby social presence. Emotional states (vigor, fatigue, dejection, and anger) were tracked alongside these proximity signals. Three statistical approaches (linear mixed-effects models, continuous-time structural equation modeling, and multi-state Markov modeling) revealed that higher social presence was linked to increased vigor and reduced dejection but also reduced situational control. Overall, the findings highlight both the short-term benefits and delayed emotional costs of being around others.

• Willinger, D., Stieger S. (2025). Bluetooth-sensed social presence is associated with immediate vigor and delayed fatigue: A multi-method time series analysis. iScience.