http://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1327&context=honors
The Capacity to Delineate and Interpret Emotion in Text Messages
Ashton Klingensmith
A Senior Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for graduation
in the Honors Program
Liberty University
Spring 2012
-------
and receivers who communicate through computer mediated communication methods
such as text messaging. This fast paced, inexpensive and technologically advanced
communication tool of text messaging has become a socially acceptable and valid form
of communication in the twenty first century in many populations, cultures, and regions.
Twenty pairs of female friends’ abilities to delineate and interpret accurately the four
emotions of: joy, anger, sadness, and guilt in eight different text message scenarios were
investigated. The results determined that although the accuracy rate of the sender
expressing an emotion and the receiver correctly interpreting the emotion was greater
than chance, the accuracy rate was also below one hundred percent. Furthermore, a
positive relationship was revealed between the sender’s confidence and the receiver’s
accuracy rate of interpreting angry text messages.
of the requirements for graduation
in the Honors Program
Liberty University
Spring 2012
-------
Research indicates that emotion is not easily expressed or interpreted between senders
such as text messaging. This fast paced, inexpensive and technologically advanced
communication tool of text messaging has become a socially acceptable and valid form
of communication in the twenty first century in many populations, cultures, and regions.
Twenty pairs of female friends’ abilities to delineate and interpret accurately the four
emotions of: joy, anger, sadness, and guilt in eight different text message scenarios were
investigated. The results determined that although the accuracy rate of the sender
expressing an emotion and the receiver correctly interpreting the emotion was greater
than chance, the accuracy rate was also below one hundred percent. Furthermore, a
positive relationship was revealed between the sender’s confidence and the receiver’s
accuracy rate of interpreting angry text messages.