What is it about?
The paper examines the impact of using smileys in initial formal work-related e-mail correspondence on the first impression of writer's warmth (friendliness) and competence. It demonstrates the negative consequences of using smileys for the perceptions of competence and as a result for willingness to share information. It also suggests that using smileys with unfamiliar others in work-related context does not communicate warmth.
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Why is it important?
Smileys are widely used in daily correspondence and have very positive reputation, as they are associated with face-to-face smile. Prior empirical research demonstrated the positive impact smileys have on the perception of a text. This paper demonstrates that for making positive first impression at work, smileys do not function as a smile, and are not aligned with business communication norms.
Perspectives
The evolving language of smileys and emojies aims to ease our text-based communication that is otherwise lacking non-verbal cues and is low on social presence. However, smileys and emojies are not simple emotional representations, and in many cases may not carry the intended meaning. Further research is needed to understand the rules of the new fascinating language of symbols.
Ella Glikson
Carnegie Mellon University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The Dark Side of a Smiley, Social Psychological and Personality Science, July 2017, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/1948550617720269.
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