Texting abbreviations makes senders seem insincere, study finds

(Press-News.org) If you want to seem sincere and receive more responses to your texts, spell out words instead of abbreviating them, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association. 

Researchers conducted eight experiments with a total of more than 5,300 participants using various methods. Across the experiments, individuals who used texting abbreviations were perceived as more insincere and were less likely to receive replies because they were seen as exerting less effort in text conversations. The research was published online in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General.
 
“In daily interactions, we often encounter people who could be considered good texters or poor texters,” said lead researcher David Fang, BCom, a doctoral student in behavioral marketing at Stanford University. “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.” 

Texting has become a dominant form of digital communication, and most texters use some abbreviations, such as IDK for “I don’t know” or GOAT for “greatest of all time” But people might not realize that abbreviations come with costs. In a preliminary survey by the researchers, 99% of respondents reported they used texting abbreviations, and 84% of them didn’t believe that others wouldn’t like abbreviations. 

The experiments included an analysis of replies to Discord group chat users, dating scenarios, and Tinder dating app users’ conversation histories spanning 37 countries. Other experiments included participants who rated their texting conversations with people who either were or weren’t using abbreviations. 

In the experiments, texters who used abbreviations received shorter and fewer responses and were less likely to receive contact information from the other texter. While young people tend to use more texting abbreviations, they still weren’t fans of them, although the findings were inconsistent in some of the studies, Fang said. 

“While our overall results on age were mixed, it’s clear that younger people are not particularly fond of abbreviations, though the strength of this aversion may vary by age,” Fang said. 

Texting abbreviations could contribute to loneliness if people find that social bonds weaken over time because they receive less frequent or positive replies to their texts, Fang said. But he doesn’t believe people should stop using abbreviations altogether. 

“We often tailor the effort we put into conversations to match the significance of the relationship. In some cases, it makes sense to invest less effort and accept being perceived as less sincere, like quickly texting with a delivery driver,” Fang said. “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.” 

Article: “Shortcuts to Insincerity: Texting Abbreviations Seem Insincere and Not Worth Answering,” David Fang, BCom, and Yiran (Eileen) Zhang, MS, Stanford University, and Sam J. Maglio, PhD, University of Toronto, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, published online Nov. 14, 2024.

Contact: David Fang, BCom, may be contacted at davfang@stanford.edu. 

The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. APA’s membership includes over 157,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve lives.

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