Digital versus physical “face-to-face” research interview : what difference does it make from a psychosocial point of view?

This article examines the psychosocial implications of conducting qualitative research interviews via videoconferencing technologies. Traditionally conceived as embodied, co-constructed encounters situated within specific physical, social, and symbolic contexts, qualitative research interviews occupy a central position in the interpretative and constructivist paradigms of psychological research. The rapid normalization of online interviewing -accelerated by the pandemic- requires a re-evaluation of the methodological issues underlying this practice. Drawing on Moscovici’s psychosocial theory, the paper explores how technological mediation reshapes asymmetry, power dynamics, spatial configurations, and the relational fabric of the interview. While videoconferencing expands accessibility and reduces logistical constraints, it also introduces new inequalities linked to digital literacy and connectivity, redefines intimacy and alters the embodied dimensions of interaction. Empirical examples illustrate how distance may both facilitate and hinder reflexivity and authenticity in the production of meaning. The article argues that online and in-person interviews constitute distinct yet complementary modes of qualitative inquiry.