Emojis are powerful tools for connection. Is ‘emoji intelligence’ the next frontier in understanding how we process emotions and navigate relationships?
People with higher emotional intelligence and those more secure in their relationships tend to use emojis more frequently, especially in close connections, according to a new study from The Kinsey Institute.
Published on Wednesday in PLOS ONE, the research suggests that emojis are not just decorative; they are a tool for emotional expression, shaped by our emotional awareness and how we form and maintain relationships.
“Emojis can facilitate intimacy and closeness, even at a distance,” David Markowitz, an associate professor of communication at Michigan State University, who was not involved in the study, told The Epoch Times in an email.
“While not fully equivalent to face-to-face non-verbal cues, thoughtful use of emojis can convey tone, build rapport, and deepen personal connections in online worlds.”
Whether it’s a thumbs-up to a colleague or a heart to a romantic partner, emojis have become essential in digital communication. Like in-person hand gestures and facial expressions, they reveal subtle aspects of our personality when we can’t see the other person.
What Emojis Reveal About Us
The study found that emotional intelligence and attachment styles influence how often people use emojis, particularly in relationships with friends and romantic partners. It involved 320 adults (191 women, 123 men, and four transgender individuals) who completed questionnaires on their attachment styles, emotional intelligence, and emoji use in different situations. The average age of participants was about 35; most were educated and white.
Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and handle your emotions and recognize and respond to others’ feelings. Attachment styles describe how people form connections in close relationships and are shaped by early experiences with caregivers. The study explored how these factors affect emoji use in relationships with family, friends, coworkers, and romantic partners.
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According to the results, people with higher emotional intelligence tend to use emojis more often to express their feelings, enhancing communication in digital conversations where nonverbal cues are absent. In contrast, those with avoidant attachment styles, who tend to avoid emotional intimacy, use emojis less, especially in close relationships.
Emotional Intelligence and Sex Differences
Previous research shows that people with higher emotional intelligence are more adept at interpreting emotional cues in digital communication. This makes emojis a key tool for conveying tone and emotion.
The current study also revealed sex differences in emoji use. Women were more likely than men to use emojis, especially in informal interactions with friends and family. Meanwhile, men tended to reserve emojis for more task-oriented or professional contexts.
How Attachment Styles Influence Emoji Use
Attachment styles also play a significant role in emoji use. According to attachment theory studies, there are three primary attachment styles: anxious, avoidant, and secure. Anxious attachments develop when children experience inconsistent caregiving—feeling loved at times but neglected at others—leading them to crave intimacy while fearing abandonment. Avoidant attachment typically arises when caregivers are emotionally distant or dismissive, making it harder for them to form close relationships later on.
In contrast, secure attachment is characterized by comfort and trust in close relationships.
The study revealed that people with secure attachment styles used emojis more frequently, especially in close, intimate relationships. Securely attached people are generally better at managing emotions and forming supportive bonds, the researchers noted.
In contrast, those with avoidant attachment who are uncomfortable with emotional closeness used emojis less, particularly in relationships with close friends or romantic partners. This suggests that avoidant individuals may be less inclined to use emojis to bridge emotional distances.
The Emotional Shift: Emojis in Virtual Communication
The study highlights a shift in how people communicate emotionally in the digital age. As face-to-face interactions are increasingly replaced by digital ones, emojis offer a way to “enhance emotional expression” and convey tone, said Markowitz, whose research focuses on language to understand social and psychological processes.
While they are not a perfect substitute for nonverbal cues like facial expressions or body language, emojis play a role in enriching online communication. However, Markowitz added that emojis, while helpful, can be misinterpreted.
“Emojis can supplement the emotional content of a digital message, but they can also be misinterpreted without knowing more about the speaker,” he said.
“It is therefore important to place emojis within a broader constellation of digital traces to form impressions of others.” In other words, the meaning of an emoji depends on the context in which it is used and the relationship between the people communicating.
The study authors believe that the findings open new research opportunities at the intersection of psychology, digital communication, and the study of attachment and emotional intelligence.
