Data for Service with a Smiley Face: Emojional Contagion in Digitally Mediated Relationships

This data demonstrates emotional contagion effects within a digital marketing communication. The use of smiling emojis creates a positive affective reaction which mediates the effect on relationship strength within a service marketing context. This effect is conditional upon the existence of a communal relationship. Data was collected in one lab study and two online studies to demonstrate this effect. In study 1, use of biometric equipment shows that unconscious affect, measured through frames spent smiling, serially mediates the effect of conscious (self-reported) affect on relationship strength with the message sender. In studies 2 and 3, the effects of the smiling emoji on positive affect and relationship strength are conditional upon an existing communal relationship between sender and receiver.