Are you guilty of overusing the monkey covering its eyes emoji? Do you find it impossible to send a text without tacking on a laughing-crying face?
Much like choosing between a full stop or an ‘x’ at the end of a message, emojis have become their own form of language—complete with unspoken rules and hidden meanings (we all know exactly what we’re implying with the eyes emoji or the eggplant).
But beyond adding subtext or flirtatious nuance, your go-to emojis might reveal more about you than you realize. According to a new study published in Current Psychology by researchers at Oklahoma State University, your emoji habits could offer surprising insight into your underlying personality traits.
The study surveyed 285 undergraduates, all around the age of 20, about their use of 40 different emojis. Participants also completed questionnaires designed to assess their personality traits. The researchers were particularly focused on what’s known as the Dark Triad: psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism.
The results showed that among men, frequent emoji use was associated with Machiavellian traits and higher levels of neuroticism. Women weren’t off the hook either: Heavy emoji use among female participants was linked to narcissistic tendencies.
The researchers speculated that this connection between emoji use and the Dark Triad could be due to the way emojis are often used for self-promotion and image management—behaviors commonly tied to narcissism.
Overall, women used both positive and negative emojis more frequently than men, whether in text messages, social media posts, or replies and comments. However, six emojis stood out as being used more often by men. You can probably guess a few of them (hint: yes, the pile of poo made the list).
While previous studies have suggested that emojis are most often used by introverts, the Current Psychology says otherwise. For both men and women, extroverts emerged as the most frequent emoji users. So the next time you’re about to send a string of fire emojis, just be sure you’re not accidentally outing yourself as a Machiavellian narcissist in the process.
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