The Impact of Emojis on Verbal Irony Comprehension in Computer-Mediated Communication: A Cross-Cultural Study

Abstract

This study examines the influence of emojis on the comprehension of verbal irony in computer-mediated communication (CMC), with a focus on cross-cultural comparisons between Chinese and American participants. Verbal irony, often reliant on paralinguistic cues absent in text-based communication, poses comprehension challenges in CMC. Emojis, as nonverbal cues, are hypothesized to aid in conveying and interpreting ironic intent. The research involved 96 participants, equally divided between the two cultures, who were presented with scenarios containing verbal irony accompanied by either a winking or smiling emoji, or no emoji. The findings suggest significant cross-cultural differences in irony comprehension facilitated by emojis. American participants showed improved irony comprehension with the winking emoji, aligning with its conventional association with sarcasm in Western cultures. Conversely, Chinese participants better understood irony when paired with the smiling emoji, highlighting cultural variations in emoji interpretation. The study underscores the complex role of cultural context in digital communication.

Keywords:

• Verbal irony
• emoji
• cross-culture
• computer-mediated communication

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Yiran Du

Yiran Du is a master’s student at Harvard University. His research interests include irony, computer-assisted language learning (CALL), and autism. He is currently seeking PhD and research assistant positions in cognitive neuroscience or psychology.