The moderating roles of self-construal and social anxiety in the association between attitude towards emojis and their frequency of usage
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21580/pjpp.v11i1.27813Keywords:
digital communication, emoji usage, online behavior, self-construal, social anxietyAbstract
Emojis are popular features in WhatsApp messaging. However, individual differences, such as social anxiety and self-construal, may influence emoji usage patterns. This cross-sectional study examines the relationship between attitudes toward emojis and their frequency of use, and the moderating effects of self-construal and social anxiety on this relationship among Indonesian undergraduate WhatsApp users. We recruited a convenience sample of 364 participants aged 18 to 24 (M-age = 21.12, SD = 1.48). The multiple linear hierarchical regression analysis results indicated that attitude towards emojis was a unique positive predictor of usage frequency (B = 0.16, t = 3.91, p < .001), accounting for 4% of the variance in such frequency (∆R2 = .04, Cohen’s f2 = .05). Neither self-construal orientations nor social anxiety moderated the relationship. Notably, independent self-construal emerged as a direct predictor of emoji usage frequency (B = 0.10, p = .043, ∆R² = .01, Cohen’s f2 = .01). The findings may reflect independent self-construal as perceived behavioral control within the theory of planned behavior (TPB) framework. They also highlight the importance of considering individual differences in digital communication behaviors among Indonesian youth.
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