Emoticons and social interaction on the Internet: the importance of social context

Daantje Derks; Arjan E. R. Bos; Jasper von Grumbkow

doi:10.1016/j.chb.2004.11.013

Emoticons and social interaction on the Internet: the importance of social context

Daantje Derks^*, Arjan E. R. Bos, Jasper von Grumbkow

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

132 Citations (Web of Science)

Abstract

The present study examines the influence of social context on the use of emoticons in Internet communication. Secondary school students (N = 158) responded to short internet chats. Social context (task-oriented vs. socio-emotional) and valence of the context (positive vs. negative) were manipulated in these chats. Participants were permitted to respond with text, emoticon or a combination of both. Results showed that participants used more emoticons in socio-emotional than in task-oriented social contexts. Furthermore, students used more positive emoticons in positive contexts and more negative emoticons in negative contexts. An interaction was found between valence and kind of context; in negative, task-oriented contexts subjects used the least emoticons. Results are related to research about the expression of emotions in face-to-face interaction. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	842-849
Number of pages	8
Journal	Computers in Human Behavior
Volume	23
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2004.11.013
Publication status	Published - Jan 2007

Keywords

emoticons
emotions
social interaction
social context
Internet
COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION
ELECTRONIC MAIL
EMOTION

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10.1016/j.chb.2004.11.013

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title = "Emoticons and social interaction on the Internet: the importance of social context",

abstract = "The present study examines the influence of social context on the use of emoticons in Internet communication. Secondary school students (N = 158) responded to short internet chats. Social context (task-oriented vs. socio-emotional) and valence of the context (positive vs. negative) were manipulated in these chats. Participants were permitted to respond with text, emoticon or a combination of both. Results showed that participants used more emoticons in socio-emotional than in task-oriented social contexts. Furthermore, students used more positive emoticons in positive contexts and more negative emoticons in negative contexts. An interaction was found between valence and kind of context; in negative, task-oriented contexts subjects used the least emoticons. Results are related to research about the expression of emotions in face-to-face interaction. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",

keywords = "emoticons, emotions, social interaction, social context, Internet, COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION, ELECTRONIC MAIL, EMOTION",

author = "Daantje Derks and Bos, {Arjan E. R.} and {von Grumbkow}, Jasper",

year = "2007",

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doi = "10.1016/j.chb.2004.11.013",

language = "English",

volume = "23",

pages = "842--849",

journal = "Computers in Human Behavior",

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number = "1",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Emoticons and social interaction on the Internet

T2 - the importance of social context

AU - Derks, Daantje

AU - Bos, Arjan E. R.

AU - von Grumbkow, Jasper

PY - 2007/1

Y1 - 2007/1

N2 - The present study examines the influence of social context on the use of emoticons in Internet communication. Secondary school students (N = 158) responded to short internet chats. Social context (task-oriented vs. socio-emotional) and valence of the context (positive vs. negative) were manipulated in these chats. Participants were permitted to respond with text, emoticon or a combination of both. Results showed that participants used more emoticons in socio-emotional than in task-oriented social contexts. Furthermore, students used more positive emoticons in positive contexts and more negative emoticons in negative contexts. An interaction was found between valence and kind of context; in negative, task-oriented contexts subjects used the least emoticons. Results are related to research about the expression of emotions in face-to-face interaction. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

AB - The present study examines the influence of social context on the use of emoticons in Internet communication. Secondary school students (N = 158) responded to short internet chats. Social context (task-oriented vs. socio-emotional) and valence of the context (positive vs. negative) were manipulated in these chats. Participants were permitted to respond with text, emoticon or a combination of both. Results showed that participants used more emoticons in socio-emotional than in task-oriented social contexts. Furthermore, students used more positive emoticons in positive contexts and more negative emoticons in negative contexts. An interaction was found between valence and kind of context; in negative, task-oriented contexts subjects used the least emoticons. Results are related to research about the expression of emotions in face-to-face interaction. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

KW - emoticons

KW - emotions

KW - social interaction

KW - social context

KW - Internet

KW - COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION

KW - ELECTRONIC MAIL

KW - EMOTION

U2 - 10.1016/j.chb.2004.11.013

DO - 10.1016/j.chb.2004.11.013

M3 - Article

SN - 0747-5632

VL - 23

SP - 842

EP - 849

JO - Computers in Human Behavior

JF - Computers in Human Behavior

IS - 1

ER -

Emoticons and social interaction on the Internet: the importance of social context

Abstract

Keywords

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