Gender Differences in Instant Messaging - Quantitative Analysis of Linguistic Characteristics

Unlike other mediated communication technologies which have been analyzedover decades or centuries rather than years IM communication hasbeen the focus of relatively few academic inquiries and very little is knownabout the content of real world instant messages.This study used quantitative content analysis software to create a linguisticprofile of college student instant messaging (IM) behaviors to investigate sexdifferences in text-based communication. Conversations of 100 participantswere logged over a period of 14 days. Linguistic indicators of psychologicalstates differences in affective language use by conversation dyad type andgender differences within the context of IM were investigated. A multidimensionalprofile of linguistic characteristics of IM conversation was developedand a comparison was made between the linguistic characteristics ofIM emotion writing control writing and talking.This book is addressed to professionals involved with mediated communicationand the development of systems that enable mediated communication.It is also directed towards researchers in communication gender linguisticsand interaction technology.