Texting abbreviations perceived as insincere, associated with lower response rates
Key takeaways:
- The use of texting abbreviations was associated with lower perceptions of effort.
- Attentive language use is needed to foster stronger interpersonal relationships in the digital era, according to researchers.
Individuals who used texting abbreviations in their messages were perceived as insincere and were less likely to receive replies, according to a study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General.
“We often tailor the effort we put into conversations to match the significance of the relationship,” David Fang, BCom, a PhD student in behavioral marketing at Stanford University, said in a related American Psychological Association press release. “In some cases, it makes sense to invest less effort and accept being perceived as less sincere, like quickly texting with a delivery driver.
“However, our findings are especially relevant when we want to appear more sincere and strengthen social ties, such as at the beginning of a relationship or when we need to make a good impression,” he continued.
Despite the pervasiveness of texting, which researchers described as a “crucial tool for modern relational management,” there is a lack of research on how texting abbreviations impact interpersonal relationships and their social and psychological consequences, they wrote.
To examine the influence of texting abbreviations on perceived sincerity and likelihood to respond, Fang and colleagues utilized mixed methods, including surveys, field and lab experiments and archival analysis of Tinder conversations, across eight preregistered studies.
Throughout the studies, researchers asked 5,306 participants to rate text conversations, complete a discourse completion task, input and rate their own text messaging history and reply to messages with six different types of abbreviations (contractions, phonological abbreviations, acronyms, shortenings, accent stylizations, and number and letter homophones).
Overall, the studies revealed that full-length text messages elicited significantly greater perceived sincerity and a significantly greater likelihood of receiving a response compared with messages that used texting abbreviations, according to the researchers. Participants put in less effort when responding to conversations that used abbreviations, and these findings occurred regardless of the closeness of the other party and the length of the text exchange.
“In daily interactions, we often encounter people who could be considered good texters or poor texters,” Fang said in the release. “We thought texters might like abbreviations because it would convey an informal sense of closeness, so we were surprised that abbreviations elicited negative perceptions about people who use them.”
Fang also noted that texting abbreviations may contribute to loneliness, although he doesn’t believe people should stop using them altogether.
The researchers acknowledged several study limitations, including the fact that most of their experimental studies focused on brief text exchanges, as well as the fact that the studies primarily focused on English-speaking texters.
Reference:
- Texting abbreviations makes senders seem insincere, study finds. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2024/11/texting-abbreviations-insincere. Published Nov. 14, 2024. Accessed Nov. 19, 2024.
Perspective
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This is a very interesting collection of experiments. Overall, differences in the likelihood of text back were relatively small, which may reflect that the use of texting abbreviations or lack thereof is not going to make a tremendous difference.
So much of communication is personal; it is hard to take these results and apply them to your own messaging with friends and contacts as there is a unique context and expectation for what is acceptable, sincere and appropriate.
Still, being aware and mindful of how your communication may be perceived is always useful to consider. This study offers a useful reminder to check in and, if unsure, perhaps pick up the phone and try calling!
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