With or without emoji? The effect of emoji on risk perception and preventive behaviors in health information

Abstract

For nearly a decade, emoji have been widely used as a substitute for nonverbal clues in computer mediated communication, especially in social media. Although the use of emoji in health communication via social media is becoming pervasive, the influences of using emoji in health information on information receivers’ perceptions and behavior has not been fully studied. In order to discover these influences, this study collected 210 Taiwanese self-statement questionnaires for analysis during the COVID-19 period in Taiwan in 2021. It adopted a 2x2 between-subject design to examine and respond to the research questions. The results verified the enhancement effect of the use of emoji in health information and the moderation effect of the information source. In the emoji condition, health information leads to a higher level of risk perception at receivers' personal and societal levels. It also enhances the receivers' preventive behavior intention. This experiment revealed an interaction effect between emoji and information source on preventive behavioral intention, namely that emoji work better on health information issued by unofficial organizations. The results provide indications and suggestions for how and when to use emoji effectively to design and deliver health information.