Scientists Prove Emoticons Are Not Universally Understood (qz.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Quartz: The most recent such study, published Oct. 24 in the Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, examined how emotions expressed in symbols and pictures are understood in three nations with varying degrees of internet connectivity and access: Japan, Cameroon, and Tanzania. Psychologists from the University of Tokyo tested subjects on how well they recognized emotions in emoticons and photographs. Participants across cultures could read emotion accurately in images of real people regardless of race -- but symbolic tech expression was not universally comprehensible. The study subjects were shown photographs of happy, neutral, and sad Caucasians, Asians, and Africans and told to describe the emotions expressed in the images. Generally, participants accurately assessed the feelings expressed across the board. The researchers noted one difference: African participants tended to confuse Asian neutral and sad faces, "perhaps due to lack of exposure to the out-group [Asian] faces," they suggest.

When it came to symbols, however, the scientists found clear cultural differences in emotion recognition. Subjects from all three countries were given a tablet, on which they were asked to scroll through a series of emoticons. They were shown emoticons in the Japanese style, with happiness, sadness, and neutrality expressed in the eyes; in a western style with emotion expressed in the mouth; and "smiley face" emoticons (pictured above). The Japanese subjects fluently read emotion in emoticons, whereas subjects from Cameroon and Tanzania found emoticons utterly mystifying at similar rates. This was true both for urban and rural dwellers in both African nations. The researchers believe this is due to the varying levels of internet exposure in the three countries.

Comments

They are confusing in America too

[craXORjack]

You don't have to go to other countries to check these results. I have gotten the most confusing emoticons while texting with my girlfriend and when I have asked her what they mean it turns out they aren't even the same as what she is seeing. I'll ask 'what is this one with the frowny face winking at me and tears flying out to the sides?' and she'll say 'what?! That isn't what it looks like.' Being an Android guy dating an iPhone girl is downright confusing.

Re:We needed a study for this?

[Calydor]

They don't even seem to check if people AGREE on the meanings of the emojis, as far as I can tell.

In my country we have a radio show on Saturday morning where people can write or call in with various dilemmas they face in their lives to get a small group of semi-famous people (authors, actors, politicians etc.) to brainstorm the problem and perhaps give a new point of view.

A couple of weeks ago, one of these dilemmas related to the asker's wife receiving a text message from her massage therapist about having found an open time slot for an emergency session - I don't remember why, it's not important to the story.

The therapist ended this text message with a kissing smiley, and apparently this was some massive faux pas in the eyes of both husband and wife. The panel of the day were rather split on how serious such a smiley was, exactly what it would symbolize in the context, and even whether it had been created as an auto-correct from a different intended smiley.

And we want to use emojis as if they have some kind of set-in-stone meaning? Not happening.