Using Emojis That Alter the Meaning of Written Messages to Communicate Interpersonal Relations

Three studies tested the prevalence of usage and interpretation of messages in which a text and an emoji convey incongruent meaning. Self-reports (Study 1, N = 723) and an experiment that manipulated interlocutor relationships and scenario valence (Study 2, N = 309) revealed that incongruent messages are sent relatively infrequently, in instances in which the text alone may threaten interpersonal relationships. Study 3 (N = 296) confirmed that incongruent messages are less comprehensible and that their perceived valence is shifted from the text valence toward the valence of the emoji. Furthermore, participants correctly inferred the relationships between the communicators, especially when the messages involved close relationships and were congruent with the emoji. We conclude that in incongruent message, the text communicates the intended message, while the emoji serves interpersonal pragmatics.