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Fairfax Media

By Rachel Clun
While emojis look odd in formal writing - think important emails, and online articles like this one - they are used by almost everyone in text messages and on social media.
However despite their widespread use, the study of emoji use is in its infancy.
So, in an article recently published on Trends in Cognitive Sciences, a group of international researchers from Australia and the UK are calling on other researchers to study our use of emojis.
“Emojis provide us with an insight into human behaviour in the digital age,” Australian Catholic University researcher Dr Stephanie Malone said.
“As emoji research is just in its infancy at the moment, there are lots of directions that this research could take and I look forward to seeing what comes of it.”
Dr Malone, who has already done some research into emojis with counterparts in the UK, said their research has turned up interesting findings - including the fact that people are “discerning” in their emoji use.
“Our research shows that despite people being aware of how useful emojis can be, they are aware that using emojis in some contexts - for example, email - may be less appropriate,” she said.
She said we use facial expressions in face-to-face conversation to help convey our meaning, and the researchers found we use emojis in written text to do the same thing.
“Using emojis helps to clarify the intended message,” Dr Malone said.
She said their research also found people can form opinions of others “based on their emoji usage.”
“Specifically, we found that people are able to judge accurately the user’s level of openness to experience and extraversion on the basis of their emoji usage.”
Studying the use of emojis is not without setbacks, however.
“One challenge is that a lot of emoji use happens in a private communication,” Dr Malone said.
However the “vast array” of public blogs, Facebook comments and websites that use emojis mean they can be studied in “a variety of contexts”.
“It is also possible to replicate these more ‘private’ forms of communication by setting up an instant messaging conversation between two people (with their consent) and monitoring their spontaneous use of emoticons,” she said.
Dr Malone, a prolific user of emojis herself, said there are “many directions” the study of emojis could take.
“One possibility is to look at the use of emojis as a support for children with communication difficulties, to examine whether the inclusion of emojis can help them in understanding the meaning of written text,” she said.
“It could be interesting to examine if the brain processes emojis in the same way as it does human facial expression.”
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/innovation/why-researchers-think-we-should-study-emojis-20170119-gtuljf


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Why British and Australian researchers think we should study emojis

Emojis are widely used in digital communication, yet the study of how we use them is in its infancy. Photo: Fairfax

Emojis are a new way of communicating with true symbolism

22 emoji you’re probably using wrong

Don't confuse this with the red siren emoji — this symbol is meant to be a trackball. Photo: Apple

People often use this one to convey sass, but this emoji is actually an information desk person. Photo: Apple

This is no regular laughing emoji. This symbol is meant to depict someone rolling on the floor laughing. In other words, ROFL. Photo: Apple

Use this to convey that you're super annoyed or irritated. That means you should stop using it to imply that someone's ugly. Photo: Apple

If you see an acorn, you're wrong — it's actually a chestnut. Photo: Apple

Nope, those aren't antlers on her head. She's just getting a face massage. Photo: Apple

Don't be fooled — this is no nut. In fact, it's a roasted sweet potato. Photo: Apple

Don't use this to convey a gift card or a gift tag; it's a bookmark. Photo: Apple

This looks like a jellyfish or an umbrella, but surprisingly, Apple calls it a wind chime. Photo: Apple

Get your head out of the gutter. This just means that everything is "OK." Photo: Apple

Don't confuse this guy — or his female counterpart — with Ziggy Stardust. This is supposed to represent a regular singer. Photo: Apple

Don't overthink it — this is just a hole. Photo: Apple

This guy isn't waiting patiently or thinking deeply. Believe it or not, he's bowing. Photo: Apple

This might look like fire, but it's not: This is a name badge. Photo: Apple

These are not jazz hands from "Bring It On." This just means your hands are open and you're down to hug it out. Photo: Apple

Nope, this isn't about praising the Lord. Use this emoji when you're celebrating something. Photo: Apple

This isn't an avant-garde symbol for a building. Use this emoji to depict anger. Photo: Apple

No, this person isn't crying. Use this when you're disappointed, but relieved. Photo: Apple

This emoji is brand-new — it just arrived with iOS 10.2 — but it's not quite what you think. While most of us see a bourbon served neat, this one is meant to be a generic tumbler glass. Photo: Apple

This blank-faced emoji represents silence, but we've seen people use it to convey confusion or angst. Photo: Apple

This emoji represents a lot more than a black cube. This is the Kaaba, a structure that sits inside al-Masjid al-Haram, Islam's most sacred mosque. Photo: Apple

What looks like a pile of ping-pong balls is actually a moon-viewing ceremony. Photo: Apple

Photo: Mike Nudelman / Business Insider

Tech

Rsearchers say studies could take many directions, including support for children with communication difficulties
