Empathy and Enjoyment in Instant Messaging

Instant Messaging has become an effective way for many to chat with friends and colleagues. The Messaging tool typically shows a picture of each interlocutor, supports text chat and allows exchange of emoticons, small emotional representations of one’s feelings. This paper investigates how different ways of visualising such emotions can affect the user’s experience. In particular, two versions of an Instant Messaging tool were evaluated: one that relied solely on emoticons for emotional expression, and one that also featured an animated 3D character representation of the interlocutor, capable of displaying facial expressions. In a between-groups experiment (N=32) conducted in pairs, the animated character was found to increase involvement in the debate. Further, empathy was identified as a key component for creating a more enjoyable experience, which does however not necessarily imply a better performance. Directions for future research are suggested.