Exploring the potential effects of emoticons

Authors:
Albert H. Huang;David C. Yen;Xiaoni Zhang
Affiliations:
Eberhardt School of Business, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, USA;Department of DSC and MIS, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA;Department of Business Informatics, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KY 41099, USA
Venue:
Information and Management
Year:
2008

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Abstract

Instant messaging (IM) has shown signs of becoming one of the main stream communication applications for users, like e-mail. Many people maintain constant contacts with multiple friends and relations via IM simultaneously whenever they are online, whether working on other applications or not. In addition to allowing instant exchange of text information, a unique feature of IM is its use of graphical icons that express emotions, known as emotional icons or emoticons. We explored their potential effects. Our model, based on prior theory and research, was tested using data collected from student users; it was analyzed to reveal potential effects of emoticons on various factors related to the use of IM. Our study used structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis; the results showed that the user of emoticons felt a positive effect on enjoyment, personal interaction, perceived information richness, and perceived usefulness. Our results suggested, however, that emoticons were not just enjoyable to use, but also a valuable addition to communication methods.