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Emoticons in text may function like gestures in spoken or signed communication

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 April 2017

Laurie Beth Feldman
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222. lfeldman@albany.eduwww.albany.edu/psychology Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT 06511. http://www.haskins.yale.edu
Cecilia R. Aragon
Affiliation:
Department of Human Centered Design and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195. aragon@uw.eduhttp://hcde.washington.eduhttp://depts.washington.edu/hdsl/nanchen@uw.eduhttp://hcde.washington.eduhttp://depts.washington.edu/hdsl/
Nan-Chen Chen
Affiliation:
Department of Human Centered Design and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195. aragon@uw.eduhttp://hcde.washington.eduhttp://depts.washington.edu/hdsl/nanchen@uw.eduhttp://hcde.washington.eduhttp://depts.washington.edu/hdsl/
Judith F. Kroll
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521. judith.kroll@ucr.eduhttp://psychology.ucr.edu/faculty/kroll/index.htmlhttps://bilingualismmindbrain.com/

Abstract

We draw parallels between emoticons in textual communication and gesture in signed language with respect to the interdependence of codes by describing two contexts under which the behavior of emoticons in textual communication resembles that of gesture in speech. Generalizing from those findings, we propose that gesture is likely characterized by a nuanced interdependence with language whether signed, spoken or texted.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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