Computer-mediated persuasion: emoticons as a proxy for nonverbal behavior

The current research examined whether or not emoticons (in this case, smiley faces) could be used as proxies for nonverbal behavior when inserted into email discussions. Specifically, previous research has suggested that women who are more communal and focused on forming interpersonal bonds may not be able to form such bonds easily when communicating via email due to the lack of nonverbal cues (Guadagno & Cialdini, 2002; 2007). It was predicted that by inserting emoticons into a persuasive email communication, women would be more open to persuasion compared to women who saw no emoticons, whereas we did not expect this to matter for men. A total of 98 (47 men, 51 women) undergraduate students completed the study. Contrary to predictions, results indicated that using a verbal equivalent of the emoticon in an email discussion actually produced more favorability towards the message for both men and women. Additionally, results indicated that individuals' level of femininity predicted attitude towards the topic. Also, the verbal equivalent proxy affected positive mood, which may also help explain the results. Implications for persuasion vial email will be discussed. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries