Wednesday, December 9, 2015

In Texting, Punctuation Conveys Different Emotions. Period.

[ed. See also: What’s Really Hot on Dating Sites? Proper Grammar.]

Technology is changing language, period

The use of a period in text messages conveys insincerity, annoyance and abruptness, according to a new study from the State University of New York Binghamton. Omitting better communicates the conversational tone of a text message, the study says.

As with any study by university researchers, though, it’s not that simple. The study found that some punctuation expresses sincerity. An exclamation point is viewed as the most sincere. (I overuse exclamation points!)

“It’s not simply that including punctuation implies a lack of sincerity,” said the study’s lead author, Celia Klin, an associate professor of psychology at Binghamton. “There’s something specific about the use of the period.”

by Christina Passariello, WSJ |  Read more:
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