Email habits tell much about sender

Contributed by Sacha Veillette (Donnerstag, 30 Dezember 2010) | Category : Email messaging trends

A recent report published in Social Psychological & Personality Science reveals how corporate email senders are perceived based on how they write their messages.

The report examined three common trends - first person versus third person, typographical errors and punctuation.

It was found those who write emails in the third person are perceived as being overly formal or angry. The third person seems to remove the sender from the actual message, whereas first person emails are thought to be more intimate.

Typographical errors in emails led test subjects to believe the sender was apathetic. This resonated more with older subjects, who perceived the apathy as a slight because they are not used to text messages and other forms of communication where errors are accepted. These are usually frequented by younger users.

A lack of punctuation also conveyed apathy. Question marks made the subjects believe the sender was either confused or angry, while exclamation points relayed happiness.

Email is the prominent means for business communication, and companies are advised to educate employees on best practices. Experts agree this may be done through corporate email policies that govern the platform's use.