People who use abbreviations in text messages are often perceived as less sincere and are less likely to receive responses, according to a new study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology. Researchers from Stanford University and the University of Toronto analysed messages from more than 5,000 participants across eight studies, finding that abbreviations such as "hru?" (how are you?) and "idrc" (I don't really care) can hinder effective communication.
The study, led by David Fang at Stanford, examined various messaging scenarios, including social media platforms like Discord and dating apps such as Tinder. Participants rated messages with abbreviations as less sincere compared to those spelled out in full. Those who used abbreviations also received fewer and shorter responses, suggesting that the practice may damage interpersonal connections.
While abbreviations save time and effort, the researchers argue that they signal lower effort from the sender, leading to negative perceptions. This effect persists even among younger users, who tend to use abbreviations more frequently. The study also found a feedback loop where recipients of abbreviated messages responded with shorter texts themselves.
However, some psychologists caution that real-world interactions involve more context. Professor Linda Kaye of Edge Hill University noted that familiarity with the sender and the communication context can mitigate these effects. Dr Christopher Hand of the University of Glasgow added that other factors, such as voice notes, emojis, and memes, may play a larger role than plain text abbreviations.
