Presence at a distance

Nowadays in the context of the cyberculture, computer-mediated inter-subjective relationships are part of our everyday lives, in both the professional and personal spheres, and for all age groups. In the clinical field, many applications have been developed to facilitate the exchange of informations and mediate the relationship between patient and therapist. In psychology, more or less immersive technologies are used, to encourage the feeling of presence among the users, and to trigger certain psychological processes. In our research, we have explored the remote clinical interview through videoconferencing, with the development and utilisation of the iPSY platform, totally focused on this objective. In this context, we have considered the notion of intersubjectivity, despite the physical absence. This research is leading us today to envision the notions of distance and presence, and possibly to redefine them. Thus, can we still oppose physical distance to psychological distance? Can we still affirm that the physical absence does not permit a psychological co-presence in certain interactions, like this observed in video interviews? The results show that the psychological processes, activated in this context, are similar to those observed in "traditional" clinical consults between the patient and the therapist. However, certain specifics have led us to consider the concept of distance, here influenced by the framework, and to observe its effects. This distance could possibly constitute a therapeutic lever for some patients, notably for those who have difficulties establishing the right psychological distance in their relationships with others. According to these results, can "distance" still be opposed to "presence", or could it be re-defined? This also opens up questions on the more general concept of digital relationships, and the definition of their specificities.