Message Tone Research Articles

The Effect of Twitter Messages and Tone on Stock Return: The Case of Saudi Stock Market “Tadawul”

This research aims to examine whether corporate Twitter messages and tone have an effect on corporate stock return (RET) for the Saudi Stock Exchange “Tadawul”. The study also investigates whether the association differs across large- and small-sized firms. We used a sample of 11,099 firm-daily observations for non-financial firms that were traded on the Saudi Stock Exchange “Tadawul” across the period 1 April 2020 to 31 December 2020. Using panel ordinary least square (OLS) and two-stage least square (2SLS), we found that corporate Twitter (currently renamed ‘X’) messages is positively and significantly associated with stock return (RET). The findings also suggest that the message tone increases the stock returns. Furthermore, our results show different effects of Twitter messages and tone on stock return across small- and large-sized firms. In addition, our findings show that Twitter tone is positively associated with RET when the firm is large in size. However, when the firm is small, Twitter messages has a stronger effect on RET. Our findings provide policy implications for regulators and investors. Regulators might monitor the information in accurate ways. Also, investors might start to show interest in Twitter channels to follow the firm’s news.

Toward a Push-Pull Model of Leader Sensegiving During Crisis: A Content Analysis of United Nations Security Council Communications

Leader sensegiving during crisis situations has received limited empirical research attention in the management and organization literature, despite the important role it plays in addressing organizational crises. This study examines how the tone of leader sense-giving messages changes as crises unfold, so as to provide a point of departure for future research assessing the efficacy of sense-giving efforts amid crises. Toward this end, I develop a conceptual push-pull model of leader sensegiving in crisis, then test key relationships between crisis conditions, sensegiving activity, and leader message tone. Analysis of a sample of United Nations Security Council presidential statements suggests that increased leader sensegiving activity is associated with worsening crisis conditions and that leader messages tend to adopt a linguistic tone that is visceral and steeped in language that references forceful action when the intensity of crisis conditions is high. Furthermore, leader messages addressing deteriorating crises are associated with relatively high levels of exclusionary, aggressive language but low levels of collectiveness and praise. Directions for future leader sense-giving in crisis research are also discussed.

Exploring the Underlying Message of Kalbe Farma’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Strategy: Video Water Supply for Watuagung

Watuagung is an area in Indonesia that is experiencing water shortage. The lack of water caused some conflicts in the village. People fought to get clean water. In 2013, a local hero strived for water supply for the village. Moreover, now, water is easy to find in Watuagung village. Therefore, the quality of life of the people is getting better. Because of the water supply, people can harvest plants and earn money. This village achievement occurred with the involvement of Kalbe Farma, Indonesia’s pharmaceutical company, in its CSR program. Furthermore, this CSR journey is described in the short video "Akses Air untuk Watuagung." The purpose of this study is to explore the underlying message of Kalbe Farma’s CSR strategy: A case study of the video "Akses Air untuk Watuagung" from college students’ perceptions. Focus Group Discussion (FGD) conducted to explore the audience’s perceptions of the video. Five students will watch the movie at one time, and questions will be delivered among the participants of the FGD to dig into the audience’s perception. The results revealed five dominant factors in communication CSR: CSR informativeness, personal relevance, self-efficacy, self-promotional message tone, and consistency. Moreover, two factors need to be improved: third-party endorsement and transparency. This research also highlights new factors, such as CSR authenticity, stakeholder involvement, and culture.

How Are Consumers Reacting to Brand Sobriety: An Analysis of Perceived Coherence and Message Tone in a Canadian Context

The sobriety approach is gaining traction in the market, with many brands seeking to address new environmental challenges by adopting zero-waste manufacturing processes and promoting moderate product usage. This positioning raises major questions for brands related to the coherence of this strategy with their initial brand image and consumer reactions to this strategy. Through an experiment conducted with 241 participants in Canada, this study examines the coherence effect (strong vs. weak) and its interaction with the communications tone (optimistic vs. pessimistic) on consumers perceptions and responses to brand sobriety. The results show that strong coherence reduces perceptions of brand hypocrisy and increases perceptions of brand relevance, as well as emotional attachment and purchase intention. The study also shows that reactions are reinforced or diminished based on the communicational tone chosen; only the optimistic tone enhances consumers perceptions and responses when the coherence is weak. The theoretical and managerial implications of this study will be discussed.

Prompt engineering on leveraging large language models in generating response to InBasket messages.

Large Language Models (LLMs) have been proposed as a solution to address high volumes of Patient Medical Advice Requests (PMARs). This study addresses whether LLMs can generate high quality draft responses to PMARs that satisfies both patients and clinicians with prompt engineering. We designed a novel human-involved iterative processes to train and validate prompts to LLM in creating appropriate responses to PMARs. GPT-4 was used to generate response to the messages. We updated the prompts, and evaluated both clinician and patient acceptance of LLM-generated draft responses at each iteration, and tested the optimized prompt on independent validation data sets. The optimized prompt was implemented in the electronic health record production environment and tested by 69 primary care clinicians. After 3 iterations of prompt engineering, physician acceptance of draft suitability increased from 62% to 84% (P <.001) in the validation dataset (N = 200), and 74% of drafts in the test dataset were rated as "helpful." Patients also noted significantly increased favorability of message tone (78%) and overall quality (80%) for the optimized prompt compared to the original prompt in the training dataset, patients were unable to differentiate human and LLM-generated draft PMAR responses for 76% of the messages, in contrast to the earlier preference for human-generated responses. Majority (72%) of clinicians believed it can reduce cognitive load in dealing with InBasket messages. Informed by clinician and patient feedback synergistically, tuning in LLM prompt alone can be effective in creating clinically relevant and useful draft responses to PMARs.

How negativity and policy content drive the spread of political messages

ABSTRACT Research demonstrates that negative messages spread more online, both at the elite and mass levels. We know comparatively less about the role that policy content plays, and whether that might be responsible for the effect of negativity. We examine over 1.4 million congressional tweets to test the effect of message tone and topic on the number of retweets that messages receive. We find that elite messages are retweeted more when they contain political attacks. However, even while controlling for tone, we find that messages are shared more when they discuss some “culture war” issues or when they discuss Donald Trump.

It’s not just what you say: the impact of message tone on intra-party endorsements

This study expands previous research on political endorsements by focusing on the tone of the endorsement, rather than the endorser or the presence/absence of any endorsement at all. Using a 2×2 experimental design and a sample of 906 registered voters from a midwestern U.S. state, this study measures the effect of positive and negative endorsements on the voter perceptions of the endorsee, endorser, and unendorsed candidate during a partisan primary election campaign. Results support the idea that positive endorsements generally improve voters’ attitudes toward the endorsee and the endorser and negative endorsements generally hurt voters’ perception of the unendorsed candidate. Further interaction analyses show that factors such as a voter’s existing enthusiasm for politics, government, and politicians can moderate the effect of endorsements. The findings are in line with the proposition of the Social Judgment Theory and support the existing literature on the effect of endorsements.

Adherence Promotion With Tailored Motivational Messages: Proof of Concept and Message Preferences in Older Adults.

This study examined the feasibility of using tailored text messages to promote adherence to longitudinal protocols and determined what facets of text message tone influence motivation. Forty-three older adults (Mage = 73.21, SD = 5.37) were recruited to engage in video-game-based cognitive training for 10 consecutive days. Participants received encouraging text messages each morning that matched their highest or lowest ranking reasons for participating in the study, after which they rated how effective each message was in motivating them to play the games that day. After 10 days, participants rated all possible messages and participated in semi-structured interviews to elicit their preferences for these messages. Results showed that messages matching participants' reasons for participating were more motivating than mismatched messages. Further, participants preferred messages that were personalized (i.e., use second person voice) and in formal tones. Messages consistent with these preferences were also rated as more motivating. These findings establish the feasibility of using message tailoring to promote adherence to longitudinal protocols and the relevance of tailoring messages to be personal and formal.

Production of vaccination videos in India: learnings from a science-art partnership

BackgroundCross-cultural communication, often conceptualized along culture and language dimensions, is an important issue for collaborative teams that include both scientists and artists. Such teams must balance the standardization needs of rigorous scientific methods, on the one hand, with openness for artistic creativity, on the other. The scientific literature does not provide clear guidance on how to structure such collaborations.DiscussionWe created eight videos manipulating the type of appeal, message tone, and gender of the vaccine promoter in a 2 × 2 × 2 between-subjects experiment. The four stages of the filmmaking process were 1) conceptualizing filmmaking and script writing through a scientific lens, 2) pilot testing and finalizing the script, 3) video production and editing, and 4) dissemination. We describe the process and learnings from a collaboration that included filmmakers, researchers, and vaccine experts from India and the United States in producing, disseminating, and evaluating videos that promoted vaccine uptake in Odisha, India.ConclusionsWhen projects require close collaborations between scientists and artists, committing to a unified vision is essential for facilitating open, bidirectional communication and building trust between the partners. Clearly denoting research boundaries ensures that the scientific needs of the project are met while simultaneously welcoming space for the filmmakers’ creativity, fostering a sense of ownership, and enhancing the final product.

The impact and pattern of WhatsApp use among the school students during the COVID-19 lockdown in a city of Western India: a cross-sectional study

Background: COVID-19 pandemic has been a global serious problem adversely affecting human life. This study aimed at documenting the impact and pattern of WhatsApp use among the school students during these unprecedented times. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 434 students belonging to grade IX, X, XI and XII, of 13-19years age group, from randomly selected four English medium schools of Surat city, India. Univariate and bivariate analysis was carried out by Epi-info software. Results: One out of every six students (16.5%) of Class IX used WhatsApp for &gt;1 hour per day compared to 13.6% of Class XII students (χ2: 23.478, DF=6, p=0.001). The total time spent on WhatsApp per day by 22.8% of girls and 13.5% of boys was &gt;1 hour (χ2: 11.532, DF=2, p=0.003). Almost 22% students of Class IX were checking WhatsApp status every time they hear message tone compared to 15.2% of Class XII students at work/ class (χ2: 19.168, DF=9, p=0.024) and at home/leisure time (χ2: 19.009, DF=9, p=0.025). A quarter (23.04%) of students reported that they would continue the use of WhatsApp even if it becomes a paid application. The most common reason for using WhatsApp among boys was its user-friendly nature while for the girls it was the ease of use. Conclusions: Girls as compared to boys spend more time on WhatsApp per day and have more number of groups where they are active. Class IX students were more prone for problematic use of WhatsApp as compared to the rest.

Interactions between text content and emoji types determine perceptions of both messages and senders

Emoji increasingly feature alongside written language in interpersonal communication. Boutet et al. (2021) showed that negative-face emoji led to a negativity effect on perceptions of message tone and senders' mood. We extended their design, considering the role of non-face emoji and the impact of text content and emoji on message clarity. We utilised a 3 (sentence valence: negative, neutral, positive) × 5 (emoji type: no emoji, negative face, neutral face, positive face, object emoji) quasi-experimental design and online survey method. Sixty participants each processed 60 stimuli counterbalanced across conditions, rating messages' emotional tone and clarity, and senders’ warmth and emotional state. Cumulative link mixed models were used to analyse responses. We found that sentence valence and emoji type interact, influencing message emotionality and clarity, and perceived sender warmth and state. The congruency of text and emoji was particularly important; results showed that incongruent emoji detracted from message clarity vs. no emoji (or congruent emoji). Congruent emoji typically amplified emotional perceptions of messages and senders. Object emoji were most influential when text was either neutral or positive. Results were consistent with models such as the EASI framework (Van Kleef, 2009), and suggest that compositionality extends to representations of text + emoji.

Developing novel visual messages for a video screen hand sanitizer: a co-design study with students

This paper reports on the results of a series of co-design workshops devised to generate new messaging ideas for a novel hand sanitizer unit that features a video screen and feedback system. Students of different nationalities, ages and genders were involved in the process either to prime design sessions, or devise/evaluate new ideas for the screen to display in a university setting. The project aimed not only to produce animated designs for subsequent testing but also to elicit key preferences for hand hygiene message tone, content and visual appearance. Research findings revealed a clear preference in the student community for positive, caring and playful approaches to hand hygiene messaging in contrast to many messaging approaches featured in previous studies. In terms of visual approach, students expressed a preference for colourful illustrations rather than photographs or word-based messages. The paper highlights some particularly rich ideas developed to exploit the novelty of the device, such as specific animated sequences or immediate visual rewards of internet memes as ways to engage the student audience. Co-design proved valuable in devising new insights for the hygiene communication community.

Memes, Memes, Everywhere, nor Any Meme to Trust: Examining the Credibility and Persuasiveness of COVID-19-Related Memes

AbstractThis study used an experimental design to examine the credibility and persuasiveness of COVID-19-related Internet memes. The study used a random sample of U.S. social media users (N = 1,200) with source credibility as the theoretical framework. Results indicate that memes with expert source attribution are more credible than those with nonexpert source attribution. The same applies to the persuasiveness of the memes. Memes with an objective message tone are also more credible and persuasive than those with a subjective message tone. Additionally, there is a positive correlation between the credibility of a meme and its persuasiveness. Age correlates inversely with persuasion and pro-mask/vaccine memes are more credible and persuasive than anti-mask/vaccines memes. These results have implications regarding COVID-19 messaging as well as on meme-based communication.

The Communicative Function of Non-Face Emoji "Folded Hands" in WhatsApp Interaction among Indonesians

This study aimed to examine the communicative functions of the non-face “folded hands” emoji that Indonesians use in WhatsApp interactions. Using descriptive qualitative, the data were analysed through the social semiotic approach proposed by Lemke (1998), the interactional sociolinguistic theory (Gumperz, 1982), and speech act theory. The data were taken from the messages that occurred naturally in several WhatsApp groups. It was re-transcribed and translated in English based on the theory by Dresner and Herring (2010). The findings revealed some functions of the non-face “folded hands” emoji in online communication. At the end of an utterance, it emphasizes message tone, politeness, and soft interaction. Furthermore, rather than this emoji expresses an emotion such as face emoji does, it performs illocutionary forces in communication such as thanking, apologizing, and asking. It is also performed in situational interaction in which the relation of speaker and interlocutor has a formal relation such as teacher-students and leader-staffs. This empirical research added to computer-mediated discourse literature by analyzing the communicative function of folded hands emoji in written discourse. Practically, it might help users interpret the emoji as an abstract concept in the messages.

Assessing public health messaging about cannabis edibles: perspectives from canadian young adults

In light of the recent legalization of cannabis in Canada, and the prevalence of edibles as a preferred mode of consumption for young adults, there is a need for evidence-based youth-targeted public health messaging on edibles that resonates with this audience. To explore Canadian young adult views on existing public health messaging regarding cannabis edibles, we conducted 8 focus groups with 57 university students ages 18 to 24 (32 women; 25 men). A descriptive qualitative approach was used, informed by the importance of process evaluation. Five main themes/concepts emerged from the focus group discussions. These related to: (1) message tone; (2) type and quality of information; (3) message format and venue; (4) relatability; and (5) spokespeople. Results also revealed that gender influences both reception to spokespeople and the quantity of information desired in educational campaigns. Findings informed five recommendations for future Canadian public health campaigns, including avoiding negative or moralizing messages; providing specific information about edibles and their effects; creating short messages for social media; being cautious when striving to create “relatable” campaigns; and finding spokespeople based on authenticity and expertise. Our findings reinforce the importance of youth input in the creation of such campaigns and suggest that young people are receptive to educational messages aligned with harm reduction principles.

We Post It, U Reddit: Exploring the Potential of Reddit for Health Interventions Targeting College Populations

Reddit is an anonymous social media platform that allows users to create, modify, share, and discuss content. While this platform is widely used by mainstream audiences, little research exists on how Redditors respond to health information when it appears in general, non-health specific forums called subreddits. Guided by media system dependency theory, the purpose of this study was to anonymously intervene on college subreddits to explore how Redditors interacted with messages about smoke-free policy compliance. Two messages were posted two weeks apart on ten college subreddits, yielding 370 comments (per thread range = 66–0) and 552 Karma points (per thread range = 123–0). A content analytic approach was employed, identifying eight content themes, and classifying message tone. The most popular themes were general smoking [n = 85], animosity toward smoke-free policies/compliance [n = 68], and smoke-free policy/compliance support [n = 65]). Most comments expressed a neutral tone [n = 196]. Data suggest that Redditors are willing to interact with health content on their college subreddits to varying degrees, especially if this content conforms to norms of the subreddit and/or platform. Implications from the findings suggest important considerations for use of Reddit as a future site for health interventions.

Agreement and Disparities between Women and Stop-Smoking Specialists about How to Promote Adherence to Nicotine Replacement Therapy in Pregnancy.

Evidence for the effectiveness of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for smoking-cessation in pregnancy is weak. This has been attributed to insufficient dosing and low adherence. This study investigated the acceptability of key messages and delivery modes for a behavioral intervention to increase NRT adherence in pregnancy. Semi-structured telephone interviews were carried out with pregnant or postpartum women aged ≥16 from across England, who had been offered NRT during pregnancy as part of a quit attempt and who struggled to quit (n = 10), and a focus group with stop-smoking specialists from across England (n = 6). The two data sources were coded separately using a thematic approach and then integrated to compare perspectives. Women and specialists agreed on message tone and delivery modes. However, views diverged on the most influential sources for certain messages and whether some information should be given proactively or reactively. There was also disagreement over which messages were novel and which were routinely delivered. This study demonstrates the value of capturing and integrating different perspectives and informational requirements when developing behavior-change interventions. The findings provide useful insights for designing a pregnancy-specific NRT adherence intervention that is acceptable to both those who will deliver and receive it.

Examining the communication of gender roles to parents: a quantitative content analysis of online birth congratulations cards

ABSTRACT The Internet serves as a media source to communicate information about modern societal perceptions and cultural attitudes regarding gender stereotypes. The current study evaluated sex-typed electronic birth congratulatory cards aimed at parents of newborns, to determine the extent the text and images in these cards communicated sex roles and gender stereotypes. In this quantitative content analysis of electronic cards (k= 200), coded variables included visual (e.g. dominant colour, presence of human baby or animals, presence of baby clothing/accessories, toy type, and decorations) and verbal (e.g. message style, message tone, physical and non-physical descriptors, and number of words) characteristics. Interrater reliability indices across the two coders were fair to excellent. Chi-square and t-tests found that the dominant colour of the images (pink and blue), decorations (frills/lace/ribbon), and the extent of interaction, independence, play, and gender stereotypes depicted differed significantly between boy and girl typed cards. A logistic regression model explained a substantial proportion of variance in the website gender-typed classification of boy versus girl cards. The findings provide insights regarding current societal attitudes towards social and gender roles in families, with the implication that people transmit these messages by sending and receiving such online communications.

Effects of crisis response tone and spokesperson's gender on employer attractiveness

Timely apologies to key publics on social media are becoming an important aspect of crisis recovery but little is known of how the spokesperson’s characteristics and the tone of apology may influence the outcome. Recognising the importance of the need to attract quality workforce, this study examines the impact of social media response to a preventable crisis on organisational attractiveness. Specifically, a 2 (message tone: corporate/formal vs. human/informal) x 2 (spokesperson’s gender: male vs. female) between-subjects factorial design was used to test the effectiveness of an apology. The results suggest a significant moderated mediation effect. We find that account acceptance mediates the relationship between message tone and organisational attractiveness, and this effect is conditional on gender of the spokesperson. The results are relevant to crisis managers and brand managers that seek to attract and retain talents.

Developing a targeted e-cigarette health communication campaign for college students

BackgroundE-cigarette use among college students has increased over the last several years, however, there are few published studies on e-cigarette interventions designed to prevent the initiation and escalation of e-cigarette use and to empower cessation for this population. MethodsWe developed an e-cigarette health communication campaign for a large Midwestern university through collaboration between academic and student service departments. We conducted focus group discussions (7 groups; 4–25 per group; n = 98) to (a) understand the context of e-cigarette use on campus and (b) solicit feedback on sample messaging. We conducted thematic analysis using focus group notes and used findings to design final campaign messages and materials. ResultsSix themes emerged: (a) vaping as a popular social activity, (b) progression to and perceptions of addiction, (c) cessation, (d) health effects and uncertainty, (e) intervention points, and (f) individual agency and message tone. Final campaign messages addressed the most salient points from the focus groups and were designed to increase the perceived susceptibility to and severity of risks of e-cigarette use and to increase perceived efficacy for quitting in accord with the Extended Parallel Processing Model (EPPM). Campaign messages and materials were integrated into wellness programming and disseminated across the university and community. ConclusionsOur focus group discussions allowed campaign messages and materials to be tailored to college students. Collaborative approaches between academic and wellness programs can leverage scientific expertise and student services infrastructure to enhance programming on college campuses.