Overview

• A study of 320 U.S. adults found that people with higher emotional intelligence tend to use emojis more frequently in digital communication.
• Participants with secure attachment styles were more likely to use emojis, while those with avoidant attachment styles used them less often with friends and romantic partners.
• Women were generally found to use emojis more often than men, particularly in messages to friends and family, but avoidant attachment reduced emoji use for both genders.
• Men with avoidant attachment styles sent fewer emojis to romantic partners, though this pattern did not affect how often they received emojis.
• The study highlights how emoji use in virtual communication can reveal underlying emotional and relational tendencies, though its findings are limited by the homogeneity of the participant sample.