A scientific study revealed that using abbreviations in text messages and online written conversations necessitates careful attention to writing words correctly to enhance the sender's credibility and worthiness of a response.

The study, conducted by researchers from Stanford and Toronto universities and published by the American Psychological Association, indicated that people who write their messages using abbreviations are perceived as "less honest."

The researchers explained that they reached these conclusions after conducting eight experiments on over 5,300 people in an intensive manner. Although message recipients may also use abbreviations in their responses, this does not affect their generally negative perception of senders who use abbreviations in their messages.

The study examined group chats on the Discord app and conversation logs on the dating app Tinder in 37 countries.

David Fang, a PhD student at Stanford University, said: "We thought people preferred abbreviations, as they give an impression of human closeness between the two parties of the conversation. However, we were surprised to find that these abbreviations give negative impressions about those who use them."

In a surprising discovery, the researchers found that participants' opinions on abbreviations were inconsistent or even contradictory. While young people tend to use abbreviations in text messages more than others, they are still not particularly fond of them.

The study's experiments showed that people who use abbreviations are seen as lazy, sending shorter and more condensed responses. This reduces the likelihood of receiving sufficient contact information from others who use complete words in their messages.

In the research paper published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, the researchers warned that excessive use of abbreviations could lead to feelings of loneliness and potentially weaken social bonds.

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Source: Associated Press

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