Work

Sarcasm in Written Communication: Emoticons are Efficient Markers of Intention

Year: 2016

Type: article

Abstract: We present 2 studies that investigate the use of emoticons in clarifying message intent. We examine sarcasm in particular, which can be especially hard to interpret correctly in written communication. In both studies, participants were required to make the intentions of their messages clear. In the first, they clarified the meaning of existing sentences without altering the wording; in the second, they produced their own sentences. Results provided clear evidence that tongue and wink emoticons are the principal indicators of sarcastic intent, and that ellipsis is associated more with criticism, rather than with sarcasm. These findings highlight the significant role emoticons play in clarifying message intention, compensating for the absence of nonverbal cues in written communication.

Source: Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication

DOI: 10.1111/jcc4.12156

Authors: Dominic Thompson, Ruth Filik

Institution: University of Nottingham

Language: English

Topic: Digital Communication and Language

Subfield: Linguistics and Language

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: Economic and Social Research Council

Award: Examining the emotional impact of verbal irony