Research on Chat Interfaces for Expressive Writing on Smartphones

Expressive writing, where people write about stressful events and emotions, is widely known as a stress coping method. Recently, methods utilizing information technology such as smartphones have also attracted attention. However, interface design for expressive writing on mobile devices has not been sufficiently explored.

This study investigates how input methods (text or voice) and the design of visual feedback after writing affect usability and stress relief in real usage environments.

The results confirmed that expressive writing on smartphones helps reduce stress and revealed important findings for interface design. In particular, text input via keyboard was preferred over voice input, as it better preserves privacy and allows users to calmly reflect on their feelings.

It was also found that preferences for feedback after writing vary depending on the cause and type of stress.

This research advances interface design for mobile expressive writing support and deepens our understanding of how people cognitively process stress.