Ever hear that checking your email during work hours decreases your work productivity? I received the most recent issue of Psychology Today in the mail last week and found a litany of interesting points about the psychology behind email-writing and the like. Do you know you do half of these things subconsciously?
All In a Name- From punctuation to domain names, email addressess reveal aspects of personality with surprising accuracy. People who are open to new experiences use more underscores and creative noms de plume, while narcissists favor overtly self-promotional ones. In fact, recipients make better-than-chance judgments on how open, friendly, neurotic, and self-disciplined an emailer is.
***thank goodness I don't have any self-deprecating or self-indulgent email addys***
Tune In, Sign On, Drop Out- While some people take cigarette breaks, others check blogs. But surfing the Web may be more stimulating than relaxing: Workers who cyberloaf more report higher job stress. On the other hand, stress-causing boredom may be driving them online in the first place.
***online-shopping is VERY BAD, I REPEAT, ONLINE-SHOPPING IS VERY BAD!!!***
Nudge, Nudge, Wink, Wink- Jokes fall flatter in cyberspace. Without facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice, it's notoriously hard to relay sarcasm via email. Rein in your overconfident sense of humor by reading your "hilarious" message in a serious tone before sending it, to feel out possible misinterpretations. Emoticons don't hurt, either. ;)
***I have had trouble in the past deciphering what an email/comment actually meant and flipped out...good thing I read this article...not like it has helped me or anything though :)***
Liar, Liar- People are more likely to tell self-serving lies over email than over the phone or during face-to-face encounters. It gives them time to compose just the right wording, and the detachment also buffers the discomfort one feels when lying.
***Why do I feel guilty writing a blog after reading this bullet point? Don't all bloggers have time to "craft" the perfect blog, since most substantial blogs worth reading are pre-meditated and thought through...it doesn't mean I'm lying though!***
About Face- Gender differences abound even in democratized cyberspace. Men are more likely to be persuaded by a male adversary's request if it's made by email, because the physical cues that stroke competition in face-to-face encounters are removed. But the same lack of social clues arouses suspicion between women, so they're best won over in person.
***I know I am too chicken to ask my boss for vacation and time-off in person so I take the email route!***
It's Your Lucky Day- People who tend to believe events in the universe are due to chance- versus their own actions- are more likely to use the Internet for non-work-related tasks at the office, such as checking news, and personal email, shopping on eBay, or gambling online. These workers believe that reproach from upper management is due to bad luck, so they log into Gmail without a worry.
***Is this how we really feel, fellow G-talkers???***
For all you non-communicative email whores who need practice in conveying what you mean, here is a helpful website along with some neat tidbits: http://webfoot.com/advice/email.top.php#intro
Chao until next time,
P
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