이모티콘 컨텍스트에 의한 감정 커뮤니케이션 연구 -카카오톡 이모티콘을 중심으로-

Abstract

This study investigates the characteristics of the emotional expressions by emoticon context and its efficiency. The research has been designed by utilizing the emoticons of characters in the KakaoTalk Kakao Friends applications. It is classified into 3 types on the basis of the currently-used visual standard, which are a face-type emoticon with a character's face, motion-type emoticon with a gesture of the character, and situation-type emoticon with a character and situation. Six emotions, including glad, sad, anger, joyful, positive, and negative emotions, were selected for the experiment. The survey was conducted by using a questionnaire over the various age groups from teenagers to fifties, total 125 Korean people. The results are as follows: The situation-type emoticon 1)describes the situation around the character. 2)A specific context and narrative are generated by the situation. 3)The specific context conveys a specific feeling. 4)It can be used in limited situations due to specific emotions. 5)The concrete context gives an emotional effect and 6)increases emotional empathy. 7)Everyone has the highest preference because of the empathy. Therefore, the situational emoticon is believed to be the most effective in conveying the emotions as it draws the positive emotional response with a highest preference. In the case of the motion-type emoticon, 1)it maximizes a facial expression and motion. 2)A singleton character generates a minimal context. 3)Minor contexts convey similar emotions by lowering the emotional comprehension, 4)leading to the general use. 5)Maximized characters can give a feeling of real experience, 6)enhancing the realism effect. 7)The insufficient understanding of the emotions causes a low preference. Finally, the face-type emoticon shows a slight preference due to the lack of understanding of the emotion caused by the least context.