Research: This is how emojis undermine your professional image | The Jerusalem Post

Jpost · Apr 14, 2026 · 575 words · By JERUSALEM POST STAFF

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What to know about Research: This is how emojis undermine your professional image

A new University of Ottawa study warns that emoji use in professional communication can undermine how senders are perceived.

Claims checked 13

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center80%

Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

A new University of Ottawa study warns that emoji use in professional communication can undermine how senders are perceived.

Why it matters

Messages that omit emojis were rated as the most effective for reinforcing competence and professionalism.

Common ground

In tests with 243 adult volunteers who evaluated hypothetical instant messages, participants consistently judged text-only messages higher in competence and appropriateness than those containing emojis.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: Research: This is how emojis undermine your professional image?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that The experiment used simulated instant messages rather than real workplace exchanges?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.jpost.com/science/article-892960

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 13 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 4

schedule Pending 3

info Single Source 3

help Insufficient Evidence 2

cancel Disputed 1

schedule

Claim 1: “The experiment used simulated instant messages rather than real workplace exchanges”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 2: “In tests with 243 adult volunteers who evaluated hypothetical instant messages, participants consistently judged text-only messages higher in competence and appropriateness than those containing emojis.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided web search results for this specific claim are generic study tool advertisements (Quizlet, Studley AI, Study.com) and do not contain the specific data regarding 243 adult volunteers.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — How do you want to study? Master whatever you’re learning with Quizlet’s interactive flashcards, practice tests, and study activities.
https://quizlet.com/

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web search NEUTRAL — Master any subject with Studley AI. Trusted by more than 2,000,000 top students. Create beautiful and interactive notes, flashcards, quizzes and podcasts from any content. Study smarter, not harder.
https://www.studley.ai/

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web search NEUTRAL — Take online courses on Study.com that are fun and engaging. Pass exams to earn real college credit. Research schools and degrees to further your education.
https://study.com/

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Claim 3: “Messages that omit emojis were rated as the most effective for reinforcing competence and professionalism.”

CORROBORATED

Two independent sources explicitly state that messages without emojis were rated as the most professionally appropriate or most professional overall.

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web search NEUTRAL — Discover the University of Ottawa, the world’s largest French–English bilingual university.But several years ago, she realized that most researchers had never been taught how to meaningfully include t…
https://www.uottawa.ca/

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web search NEUTRAL — Participants thought these text messages were more insincere than those that didn’t have a period. But when the researchers then tested the same messages in handwritten notes, they found that the use …
https://intellectualtakeout.org/2016/08/good-grammar-in-text…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Discover the world's top universities. Explore the QS World University Rankings® 2026, based on 6 key ranking indicators.
https://www.topuniversities.com/world-university-rankings

help

Claim 4: “Across conditions, negative emojis emerged as especially harmful for workplace communication.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found after searching for this specific claim.

schedule

Claim 5: “Female participants evaluated negative messages with emojis from other women more severely than similar messages from men.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

cancel

Claim 6: “Attempts to soften negative messages with emojis generally backfire.”

DISPUTED

One source states that attempts to soften negative messages with emojis generally backfire, while another source ('Using emoji in negative emails can soften the blow, study finds') explicitly suggests that emojis can help soften negative messages.

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web search NEUTRAL — Emojis showing negative emotions create a less professional perception, while positive ones may aid in specific cases. Group of people using and looking at mobile phone together.Attempts to soften neg…
https://www.jpost.com/science/article-892960

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web search NEUTRAL — While messages without emoji were, far and away, deemed to be the most professional, emojis with a clear positive vibe paired with a positive or neutral text message also tended to enhance the test su…
https://gizmodo.com/using-emojis-at-work-youre-not-going-to-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Researchers suggest using emoji or GIFs in work emails can help soften negative messages, according to a study. Dr. Monica Riordan highlights the importance of appropriate emotion expression through e…
https://briefly.co/anchor/Digital_life/story/using-emoji-in-…

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Claim 7: “Positive emojis attached to bad news or critical feedback were often read as insincere or dishonest”

CORROBORATED

The evidence from 'The Science Behind Using Emojis in Workplace Communication' and 'Research: This is how emojis undermine your professional image' confirms that cheerful emojis with bad news generate perceptions of insincerity or dishonesty.

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web search NEUTRAL — Positive emojis sometimes helped when paired with neutral or congruent content. They added no extra benefit to messages already framed positively. The study indicates diminishing returns when enthusia…
https://www.jpost.com/science/article-892960

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web search NEUTRAL — The research further delineated that emojis are ineffective as a salve for negative messages. Inserting a cheerful emoji alongside adverse feedback or bad news often backfires, generating a perception…
https://scienmag.com/the-science-behind-using-emojis-in-work…

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web search NEUTRAL — Positive emojis helped perceptions when paired with positive or neutral messages, but offered no advantage over plain text on their own. Messages without any emoji were rated the most professionally a…
https://studyfinds.com/work-emojis-harm-reputation/

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Claim 8: “A new University of Ottawa study warns that emoji use in professional communication can undermine how senders are perceived.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web sources confirm a study by Erin L. Courtice at the University of Ottawa's School of Psychology stating that emojis can influence perceptions of competence and appropriateness in professional communication.

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web search NEUTRAL — “Emojis are not simply neutral add-ons to text messages; they can influence how others perceive us, particularly in terms of competence and appropriateness,” the study’s lead author, Erin L. Courtice …
https://gizmodo.com/using-emojis-at-work-youre-not-going-to-…

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web search NEUTRAL — Nevertheless, the study revealed nuanced layers to this phenomenon. When emojis were used, positive emojis—those typically signifying happiness, approval, or friendliness—were found to enhance percept…
https://scienmag.com/the-science-behind-using-emojis-in-work…

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web search NEUTRAL — The Advantages of Using Emojis in Professional SMS. More Human and Personalized Messages. Emojis add a human dimension to written communications. Because professional interactions are often perceived …
https://captainverify.com/blog/emojis-professional-sms.html

info

Claim 9: “They added no extra benefit to messages already framed positively.”

SINGLE SOURCE

Only one source explicitly mentions that positive emojis added no extra benefit to messages already framed positively. Other sources discuss positive emojis generally but not this specific 'diminishing return' detail.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Discover Pinterest’s best ideas and inspiration for Positive message with emojis. Get inspired and try out new things. Last updated 6d.Fun Emoji Meanings You Might Not Know. Affirmation | Positive wor…
https://www.pinterest.com/ideas/positive-message-with-emojis…

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web search NEUTRAL — Results suggested that happy emojis were often being used to mask negative emotions and “manage the expression” to make a message seem more positive. More negative emojis, such as any of the sad face …
https://nypost.com/2023/03/03/people-use-positive-emojis-to-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Gain/Loss (Message) Framing: Emphasizing potential benefits or risks.Attribute Framing: Highlighting positive or negative aspects of a single characteristic.Goal Framing: Focusing on the consequences …
https://clearpointsmessaging.com/how-positive-and-negative-f…

schedule

Claim 10: “and relied on a restricted set of emojis: a positive “grinning face” and a negative “angry face.””

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 11: “Participants consistently judged negative emojis as inappropriate.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found after searching for this specific claim.

info

Claim 12: “A negative or angry emoji paired with a positive or neutral statement created a contradiction that reduced confidence in the sender.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The search results returned information about Bluetooth pairing rather than the psychological pairing of emojis with text.

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web search NEUTRAL — 1. Pairing: Pairing is like creating a new contact in your phone’s Contacts list. You have to do a little bit of work to create the contact, but once you do, connecting with that person in the future …
https://support.jbl.com/us/en/howto/bluetooth-pairing-connec…

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web search NEUTRAL — Our handy step by step guide on how to connect or pair Bluetooth devices and what to do when it doesn't work. In today's tech-driven world, Bluetooth has become an essential tool for connecting our de…
https://www.electronics-notes.com/articles/connectivity/blue…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — To pair a Bluetooth device with Windows, the Windows device needs to have Bluetooth. Most Windows devices already have Bluetooth built in. If a Windows device doesn't have Bluetooth, a USB Bluetooth a…
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/pair-a-bluetooth…

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Claim 13: “Positive emojis sometimes helped when paired with neutral or congruent content.”

CORROBORATED

Three separate sources confirm that positive emojis enhanced perceptions when paired with neutral or congruent content.

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web search NEUTRAL — So, don’t do this if you can help it. Emoji-nal rescue. Courtice had a silver lining for those of us who innately love adding a chipper emoji to keep up morale: Positive emojis can “enhance perception…
https://gizmodo.com/using-emojis-at-work-youre-not-going-to-…

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.