Use Of Pictures And Emojis Can Signal Less Power And Authority

Chattanooga, TN – Pulse

If you want to look powerful at work be sure to use words and not pictures or emojis. Tel Aviv University researchers found that employees who use pictures and emojis in their emails or Zoom profiles, or even company pictorial logos on t-shirts, are perceived as less powerful than those who use words. Study leader, Dr. Elinor Amit explains, “Why do pictures signal that a sender is low power? Research shows that visual messages are often interpreted as a signal for desire for social proximity. A separate body of research shows that less powerful people desire social proximity more than powerful people do. […] It must be noted that such signaling is usually irrelevant in close relationships, as in communications between family members. […] Our findings raise a red flag: when you want to signal power [especially at work or in business] think twice before sending an emoji or picture.”
(EurekAlert!)