Latest news with #CurrentPsychology
New York Post
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Excessive use of emojis in a text message reveals this about someone, study says
Your favorite emoji might reveal more about you than your therapist. According to a new study published in the journal Current Psychology from Oklahoma State University, your emoji habits might be a window into your soul — and not necessarily the pretty part. Researchers surveyed 285 undergraduates — mostly around 20 years old — asking how often they used 40 common symbols in texts and social media posts. Advertisement The goal? To match those digital doodads to personality traits. Pay attention to your emoji use, and it'll reveal a lot about your personality. Shutterstock For guys, heavy emoji use revealed manipulative behavior and emotional roller-coaster vibes. Ladies weren't off the hook either. Advertisement Their carefully thought-out use of emojis correlated with their self-image and a desire to manage how others perceive them. Apparently, women want to come off as agreeable and open, so they throw in a bunch of emojis in a text or social media post to be perceived this way. 'Emoji use may be related to strategies to manipulate the perceptions of others and to present a positive impression of oneself,' the researchers said. And if you're a parent? You may find the meanings behind your child's emoji usage more surprising than you'd expect. Advertisement Researchers examined how frequently they used 40 common symbols in text messages and social media posts. AP Last month, Amit Kalley, founder of the organization For Working Parents, issued a warning to families about the hidden meanings behind certain smartphone emojis, which he claimed could be used by children to communicate potentially 'sinister' messages. 'The unregulated internet can be very dangerous for our children,' Kalley wrote on Instagram. According to Kalley's 'periodic table of emojis,' there are double meanings to seemingly innocent emojis that could be used by teens to send secretive messages. Advertisement For instance, cocaine is often represented by emojis such as a snowflake, 8-ball, or snowman; marijuana by a tree, leaf, or branch; MDMA by the money bill emoji; ketamine by a horse; and psychedelic mushrooms by the red mushroom icon. While some emoji meanings are straightforward — like the gun or knife for weapons and the smiley with X's for death — others require more explanation. 'Incel' can be represented by the apple, bean, bill, or '100' emoji, while 'Neo-Nazi' is symbolized by the hedgehog, lightning bolt, or the numbers 1488. 'Anti-woman' can be conveyed with the ghost, goblin, or monster emojis. 'It's far from an exhaustive list, but it's based on common emojis used to say something very different to what you'd think,' Kalley explained on the social media platform.
Daily Mirror
29-04-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
What your emoji use says about you as study reveals psychological traits
The use of emojis has become a universal language for everyone, but the use of the digital hieroglyphics could reveal more deeper indications of your personality While you may think sending an innocent smiley face or a thumbs up is harmless, studies show the real meaning behind emoji language. A recent study has revealed the true personality traits of emoji users, and what your chosen smiley face says about you. The little icons have been around since 1999 and have become a universal language across the globe. You may think putting a thumbs up might mean you agree, putting a sunglasses emoji may signify coolness to your message, or adding a smiley face adds affability, but you may be wrong and, in fact, could be showing traits of narcissism. Emojis have encapsulated every aspect of human language. From a quick text to a corporate email, they are used in all day-to-day life. But now psychologists have delved deeper into the true meaning of what is really behind the digital hieroglyphics—and the results are pretty interesting. Experts have found that a person's emoji habits can disclose more than they intend. In one study where 285 university students were surveyed with an average of about 20, asking about their use of 40 symbols. As reported by The Times, the participants also completed questionnaires designed to reveal their personality traits. The results showed that among men, heavy emoji use was linked to Machiavellian tendencies and neuroticism, characteristics associated with manipulativeness and mood swings. For women, a fondness for emojis was tied to narcissism, said the new research, which has been published in the journal Current Psychology. So to break this down, men who heavily use emoji's may be trying to manipulate you to follow their unpredictability or to control you in an erratic or self-serving way. While a woman, who may be hammering the heart emoji in every message, is trying to improve her public image or representation, making her appear more appealing. Women who use emojis may put more thought into it to craft the way they are perceived to make themselves come across friendlier or more positively. It could also be down to women using social media and text messages more, but there was a small number of emojis that were used more by men which included the "pile of poop", the "exploding head" and the "face screaming in fear". According to previous studies, it was found that those who were more introverted would use emojis more frequently, but new research published in the journal Current Psychology found that among both males and females, extroverts were the most enthusiastic users. Another paper, published in 2019, found that students were far more likely to respond well to a task from an academic who used emojis, but in 2018, a survey suggested that more than a third of British adults believed that emojis were to blame for the deterioration of the English language. So next time you add a wink emoji, a face palm emoji or even a fire emoji, it may not be giving the true message you initially thought.
Times
28-04-2025
- General
- Times
Machiavellian traits and narcissism: what your emojis say about you
You may fondly imagine that tacking on a cheerful 😊 will convey breezy affability or that a rakish 😎 suggests a devil-may-care swagger. Alas, you could be gravely mistaken. Research suggests that peppering your messages with these symbols may be less a testament to your sunny disposition and more a window into your darker psychological recesses. Since their introduction in 1999, emojis have become an inescapable feature of human communication, infiltrating everything from casual texts to corporate memos. Psychologists have now set themselves the task of decoding what lies beneath these digital hieroglyphics. The results suggest that a person's emoji habits can disclose more than they intend. The study questioned 285 undergraduates with an average age of about 20 about their use of 40 symbols. The participants also completed questionnaires designed to reveal their personality traits. The results show that among males, heavy emoji use was linked to Machiavellian tendencies and neuroticism, characteristics associated with manipulativeness and mood swings. For women, a fondness for emojis was tied to narcissism. In other words, a man who eagerly fires off emojis may covertly be trying to bend you to their capricious will, while a woman drowning her messages in hearts and sparkles might be seeking to burnish her personal brand. Overall, women used emojis more liberally than men, possibly because they use social media and text messaging more. Women used more emojis than men MEMENTOJPEG/GETTY IMAGES There was, however, a small subset of six emojis that were used more by men, including the 'pile of poo', the 'exploding head' and the 'face screaming in fear'. We can only speculate as to the nuanced emotional states being conveyed. Previous studies had suggested that introverts most often reached for the symbols. Not so, said the new research, which has been published in the journal Current Psychology. Among both males and females, extroverts were the most enthusiastic users. The findings join a growing body of scholarship on smiley faces and face-palm icons. Another paper, published in 2019, found that students were far more likely to respond well to a task from an academic who used emojis. However, reinforcing the adage that familiarity breeds contempt, they were also more likely to doubt the teacher's competence. In 2018, a survey suggested that more than a third of British adults believed that emojis were to blame for the deterioration of the English language. Beyond providing fuel for anxious self-reflection, the latest results may carry implications for marketers, campaigners and others interested in the dark arts of persuasion. The researchers note that 'increasingly, companies are mining the contents of social media posts to estimate information about social media users' characteristics'. Emojis could, they believe, furnish valuable clues for 'psychographic profiling' — the practice of targeting individuals based on their innermost traits, whether for selling consumer goods or shaping voting behaviour. For now, the analysis of emojis remains relatively rare in such efforts. But in the future, your choice of a wink over a thumbs-up may help determine which adverts you see. Until then, be aware: when you next send a face crying with laughter, it may not mean what you think. What your emojis might actually mean A study published in the journal PLOS One in December found that people who frequently used emojis with potential partners went on to engage in more romantic and sexual activities over time. Another study found that over-60s frequently struggled to interpret some emojis. A symbol representing surprise — a small yellow face looking speechless with its eyes wide open and eyebrows raised — proved to be the most difficult to decipher. The results came from the University of Ottawa. A study published in Frontiers in Psychology last year found that people who used the most emojis had the lowest levels of 'openness to experience' — a trait that measures how open-minded, imaginative and insightful a person is.
