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Article published In: Beyond Words: Pragmatic approaches to visual discourses in digital interactions
Edited by Agnese Sampietro and Carmen Pérez-Sabater
[Internet Pragmatics 8:2] 2025
► pp. 295–325

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Lightening the mood with visual humor

The pragmatic functions of GIFs

 | Indiana University Bloomington
Published online: 5 August 2025
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/ip.00129.dai
Abstract
Large, colorful, and dynamic, GIFs are a staple of computer-mediated communication and have been hypothesized to perform similar discursive functions to other graphicons (e.g., emoticons, emoji). This research assesses how individuals interpret the discursive uses of GIFs in one-on-one conversations. Twenty dyads shared four GIF-containing text message conversations and privately indicated which of 14 proposed functions each GIF served. Respondents then selected two predominant functions of each GIF. The results show that GIFs are multi-functional and can perform all functions, although respondents showed a preference for riffing and reaction. Some commonly selected functions were less likely to be selected as predominant uses, such as tone modification and acknowledging the mood of the conversation. In concluding, it is considered whether GIFs and graphicons in general should be viewed as having one predominant or many simultaneous uses and whether fine-grained taxonomies or broad simplified taxonomies should be utilized in future graphicon research.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Literature review
    • 2.1Pragmatic functions
      • Tone modification
      • Softening
      • Strengthening
      • Action
      • Reaction
      • Mention
      • Riffing
      • Narrative sequence
    • 2.2Discursive functions
      • Quoting
      • Joking
      • Acknowledging the mood
      • Keeping the conversation going
      • Confirming message receipt
    • 2.3Simplified functions
    • 2.4Research questions
  • 3.Methods and data analysis
    • 3.1Participants
    • 3.2Procedure
    • 3.3Materials: Survey design
    • 3.4Data analysis
  • 4.Results
    • 4.1All original functions served
    • 4.2All simplified functions served
    • 4.3Number of functions served
    • 4.4Primary original functions by rank
    • 4.5Primary simplified functions by rank
    • 4.6GIF functions in context
  • 5.Discussion
  • 6.Conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
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