Interpreting Teasing Through Texting: The Role of Emoji, Initialisms, Relationships, and Rejection Sensitivity in Ambiguous SMS

Abstract

Playful teasing is an ancient form of interaction that now occurs through computer-mediated communication. Teasing through short message service texting is examined conceptually and empirically in this dissertation. Teasing and computer-mediated communication are framed in the theoretical lens of social information processing in Chapter 1. The development of study materials and stimuli to examine teasing through texting, using iterative focus groups and online pilot data collection, are detailed in Chapter 2. The two studies that examined message features, social context, and rejection sensitivity in the context of playful teasing via texting are presented in Chapter 3. The influence of two commonly used message features (the “winking face with tongue” emoji and the “lol” initialism) on teasing text message interpretation, compared to unadorned texts, were investigated in Study 1. Rejection sensitivity was also examined in relation to interpretation. Texts with the emoji contributed to more positive interpretations compared to texts with the “lol” initialism or unadorned texts, providing the first evidence that emoji and initialism function differently in the context of teasing. The influence of social context (the sender-receiver relationship) on the interpretation of teasing texts, and the relationship between message interpretation and rejection sensitivity were examined in Study 2. Teasing texts sent by close friends were rated more positively than those from acquaintances. In both studies, higher rejection sensitivity was related to more negative interpretations of teasing texts, however, teasing texts with the emoji did not show this pattern. The studies’ findings are discussed in Chapter 4 in the context of social information processing theory and in practice, examining implications for individuals with rejection sensitivity and practices for text message composition.