Language Styles in AOL Instant Messenger as a Reflection of Self
Date
2002
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Haverford College. Department of Psychology
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Thesis
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Award
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eng
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Haverford users only
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Abstract
Two studies of mostly college-aged users of AOL Instant Messenger (IM) collected survey and self-report data from over 250 IM users and also collected text logs of IM conversations for language analysis. Study one provided user demographics and background information on IM use. The average user was 19.5 years old and used IM for well over an hour each day to talk with close friends and acquaintances. Most subjects reported that they are usually using IM "just to say hi," and that IM has allowed them to keep in touch with people that they would not have kept in touch with otherwise. Study two examined individual and group differences in language use. Gender differences were smaller then expected in both studies, though an analysis of IM logs revealed that males used significantly more profanity than females. Other variables such as age and context of conversation were examined as with gender, yielded no significant differences in use of profanity, use of abbreviations or slang, or use of emoticons.