Keywords
Communication skills, communication, digital communication, emoticons, gender, email
Abstract
Emoticons have become a common phenomenon in email correspondence between students and professors. Even though the use of emoticons in formal writing is considered inappropriate and unprofessional, more and more students are using these nonverbal communication tools to add context or emphasis to their email messages to professors. This paper examines the association between the use of emoticons and professors’ perceptions of higher education students’ email messages with and without emoticons in two countries, Serbia and Slovenia. The students’ emails were collected and assessed on several levels. The students’ messages were examined with particular attention to the appropriateness of the students’ writing style. In addition, the students’ level of digital literacy, their attitude toward a professor, and gender differences in the use of emoticons were examined. Furthermore, an online questionnaire was used to identify characteristic differences between students who use emoticons and students who do not. The results show that messages with emoticons are rated lower on several dimensions than messages without emoticons. In addition, students who use emoticons show lower digital literacy and perceive their professors as more understanding and helpful. Emoticon use is not related to gender. The results suggest that students should avoid using emoticons even if they have a positive attitude toward their professor.
References
Abdullahi, T. (2021, March 15). What do emojis mean? How millennials and gen-y use them very differently. National. https://bit.ly/3PhQSEH
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Anuar, H.S., Saat, R.M., & Talib, Z.A. (2009). A study on gender perception of emoticon in computer-mediated commu-nication (CMC). Cmc, 1-10. https://bit.ly/3G2qcno
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Baggia, A. (2022). Emoticons 2021 (Version 2) [Data set]. https://doi.org/10.17632/c7ddxc4y6y.2
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Bartl, R. (2017). Impact of netiquette on email communication. Journal of Applied Leadership and Management, 5, 35-61. https://bit.ly/3AOs3cO
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Bogdanovi?, V.Z., & Bulatovi?, V. (2020). “I fully agree with you”: Graphic and lexical boosters and attitude markers on discussion forums. In A. Pisanski-Peterlin, & T. Mikolic-Juznic (Eds.), Academic writing from cross’cultural perspec-tives: Exploring the synergies and interactions (pp. 218-243). Ljubljana University Press. https://bit.ly/34rgf3V
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Chejnová, P. (2014). Expressing politeness in the institutional e-mail communications of university students in the Czech Republic. Journal of Pragmatics, 60, 175-192. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2013.10.003
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Corrigan, P.T., & Hunt-McNabb, C. (2015, April 15). Re: Your recent email to your professor. Inside Higher Ed. https://bit.ly/3odOUcw
Crombie, P. (2020). Faces, hearts and thumbs: Exploring the use of emoji in online teacher-student communications in higher education. Journal of Academic Language and Learning, 14(1), 30-41. https://bit.ly/3umgOY1
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Dunlap, J.C., Bose, D., Lowenthal, P.R., York, C.S., Atkinson, M., & Murtagh, J. (2016). Chapter 8 - What sunshine is to flowers: A literature review on the use of emoticons to support online learning. In S.Y. Tettegah, & M. Gartmeier (Eds.), Emotions, technology, design, and learning (pp. 163-182). Academic Press. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-801856-9.00008-6
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Kaye, L.K., Wall, H.J., & Malone, S.A. (2016). “Turn that frown upside-down”: A contextual account of emoticon usage on different virtual platforms. Computers in Human Behavior, 60, 463-467. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.02.088
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Rosseel Y. (2021). The lavaan tutorial. https://bit.ly/3MDypRu
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Stanton, A.L. (2014). Islamic emoticons: Pious sociability and community building in online Muslim communities. In T. Benski, & E. Fisher (Eds.), Internet and emotions (pp. 80-98). Routledge. https://bit.ly/3sP1FNd
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Tratnik, A., Znidarsic, A., Jerebic, J., Rajkovic, U., Baggia, A., Gak, D., Grbic, T., Durakovic, N., & Medic, S. (2021). Pre-dictors of email communication skills among Slovenian and Serbian students. In S. Drobne, L. Zadnik-Stirn, M. Kljajic-Borstnar, J. Povh, & J. Zerovnik (Eds.), SOR'21 Proceedings (pp. 241-246). Slovenian society INFORMATIKA – Section for operational research. https://bit.ly/3NgifNH
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Link DOI | Link Google Scholar
Technical information
Received: 03-02-2022
Revised: 18-04-2022
Accepted: 12-05-2022
OnlineFirst: 30-06-2022
Publication date: 01-10-2022
Article revision time: 74 days | Average time revision issue 73: 44 days
Article acceptance time: 98 days | Average time of acceptance issue 73: 89 days
Preprint editing time: 195 days | Average editing time preprint issue 73: 186 days
Article editing time: 240 days | Average editing time issue 73: 231 days
Metrics
Metrics of this article
Views: 42915
Abstract readings: 40147
PDF downloads: 2768
Full metrics of Comunicar 73
Views: 390249
Abstract readings: 360745
PDF downloads: 29504
Cited by
Cites in Web of Science
Liu, JF; Jiang, HH and Wang, SQ. Physicians' Online Writing Language Style and Patient Satisfaction: The Mediator of Depth of Physician-Patient Interactions HEALTHCARE, 2023.
https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11111569
Quintero, FAL; Zambrano, LMV and Calderon, MGM. Diffusion of knowledge in the social area digital editorial initiative of open access ETIC NET-REVISTA CIENTIFICA ELECTRONICA DE EDUCACION Y COMUNICACION EN LA SOCIEDAD DEL CONOCIMIENTO, 2023.
Cites in Scopus
Liu, J., Jiang, H., Wang, S.. Physicians’ Online Writing Language Style and Patient Satisfaction: The Mediator of Depth of Physician–Patient Interactions), Healthcare, .
Cites in Google Scholar
Masegosa, A. N. DIAGNÓSTICO, DIDÁCTICA Y TEORÍA DE LA EDUCACIÓN CAPITALISTAS. COMUNICAR PARA EL CAPITAL. CARIBEÑA DE CIENCIAS SOCIALES, 1.
https://www.eumed.net/uploads/revistas/5b9519f59e9992f23d4c52ebded9cf21.pdf#page=4
Writing Emails in English: A Key Skill for Business Students OA Alexa - Res. & Sci. Today, 2022 - HeinOnline
Alternative metrics
How to cite
Baggia, A., Žnidaršič, A., & Tratnik, A. (2022). Emoticons in student-professor email communication. [Emoticonos en la comunicación por correo electrónico entre estudiantes y profesores]. Comunicar, 73, 119-133. https://doi.org/10.3916/C73-2022-10