Mapping TikTok Emojis on the Valence-Arousal Scale: What Every User Should Know

What Are Valence & Arousal?

Before diving into TikTok emojis, it’s important to understand two psychological dimensions often used to describe emotion: valence and arousal.

• Valence refers to how pleasant or unpleasant an emotion feels, i.e. whether it is positive (happy, joyful) or negative (sad, angry).

• Arousal measures how energized or calm the emotional state is, high arousal might be excitement, anger or shock; low arousal might be contentment, boredom, or sadness.

These two axes are part of many psychological models (including the circumplex model of affect) and help map how different emotions relate to one another. They’re also used in studies of emoji perception.

Why Map TikTok Emojis?

On tiktokemojiz.com, a hub for TikTok emojis, we’ve noticed users frequently seek to understand not just what an emoji means on the surface, but how strongly it expresses emotion (how “hot” or “mild” it is, and whether it’s positive or negative). Mapping TikTok emojis on a valence-arousal scale helps in this: it clarifies which secret or custom emojis lean toward calm happiness vs. intense excitement vs. negative or neutral states.

Since TikTok is one of the platforms with heavy use of both standard emojis and platform-specific or “secret” emojis (those inside [brackets] etc.), it provides a useful case study for examining how users emotionally signal in digital communication.

Key Research & Findings

Here are major insights from psychological research about how emojis map onto valence and arousal, and what this means for interpreting them:

1. Classification of 74 Facial Emojis (Nature / Scientific Reports)
   A study involving over 1,000 participants evaluated 74 facial emojis on 9-point scales of valence and arousal. 

   • The researchers found that emojis cluster into six valence levels (ranging from strong negative to strong positive) and four arousal levels. 

   • For example, some emojis are strong positive + high arousal (think loud laughter, excitement), while others are neutral or slightly positive but low arousal (a soft smile). 

2. Norming Emojis on Emotional Dimensions
   A more recent study assessed 112 emojis across 13 discrete emotion dimensions (anger, fear, sadness, etc.), which implies that different emojis carry distinct affective signatures. 

   • This helps show which emojis are more intense vs. mild, or more negative vs. positive.

3. Generation & Age Differences
   Another study looked at how people of different age groups interpret facial emojis on valence-arousal axes. PMC

   • Findings suggest that older users may rate some negative emojis with higher arousal (i.e. feeling more intense negative emotions) than younger users.

   • Interpretation varies; design of the emoji also affects perception. 

4. Emoji in Context: TikTok Comments & Semiotics
   A “social semiotic account” of TikTok cases shows emojis don’t exist in isolation. In TikTok comments, text + emojis combine to produce a richer meaning. Some emojis may on their own have moderate valence/arousal, but when used with certain words, video content, or other emojis, their perceived emotional intensity changes. Taylor & Francis Online

Practical Mapping: Where Some Common TikTok Emojis Land

Here are examples (using standard/frequently used emojis and also secret/custom ones) of how they might map on valence-arousal, roughly, based on the research above and observing TikTok use:

Secret/custom TikTok emojis (like [happy], [proud], or [cry]) often mirror these patterns: users tend to deploy them for emotions that are more intense or noticeable (higher arousal), especially positive ones for celebration or acknowledgment. At the same time, negative custom emojis are used in reaction to criticism, sadness, etc.

Why Mapping Matters: Implications for Users, Creators, Brands

Understanding where emojis fall on valence-arousal has several benefits:

• Clarity in emotional tone: If someone uses a very high-arousal positive emoji (e.g. laughing hard, etc.), readers expect a more intense reaction; using a low-arousal positive one might feel underwhelming or mismatched.

• Avoiding misinterpretation: Not all emojis are perceived equally. Two emojis might both be “positive,” but one is vibrant & energetic; the other calm & gentle. Misusing them can lead to tone mismatch.

• Communicating intent: For creators, marketers, or anyone posting content, choosing emojis consciously (knowing their valence and arousal) helps convey the right emotional message.

• Cross-platform/design effects: Because design (how an emoji looks on device/app) can shift perceived arousal/valence, what seems high arousal on one platform may come off differently on another.

Limits & Cautions

• Subjectivity & individual differences: People differ in how they rate or feel about an emoji depending on age, culture, personality. What is “mild happiness” to one might feel more intense to another.

• Ambiguity without context: An emoji alone is often ambiguous. The same emoji used in different captions, video contexts, or alongside other emojis/text can feel different.

• Design variability: Emoji graphics differ by OS, platform, version—color, shape, facial expression variations can shift perception.

• Overuse can dilute meaning: If an emoji is used too often, especially for low-arousal or mild emotions, it may lose emotional impact or become cliché.

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How To Use This Knowledge (For TikTok Users)

Here are tips you can apply (and which we cover examples of on 

) to use TikTok or custom emojis more effectively:

1. Match arousal to content type: High arousal emojis pair well with exciting trends, challenges, big reveals; low-arousal ones with calm or reflective videos.

2. Pair with text/video cues: Use emojis that align with the mood of the video/audio/text to avoid mixed signals.

3. Don’t overload: Too many high-arousal emojis can be overwhelming; mixing in low-arousal ones can balance emotional tone.

4. Know your audience: Younger users might expect intense reactions; older may prefer more tempered signals.

5. Observe trends: On TikTok, secret/custom emojis often form part of meme-culture or community slang, what’s hot today may shift tomorrow.

Conclusion

Emojis on TikTok aren’t just cute add-ons—they carry emotional weight. By viewing them through the valence-arousal scale, we see which ones signal calm joy, which spark intense excitement, and which capture raw negative feelings. Used wisely, they make digital conversations clearer and more human. And as we share on TikTokEmojiz.com, understanding these signals helps every user connect more effectively in the fast-moving world of TikTok.