The Influence of Fake Text Messages on Emotional Response: The Role of the Head and Body of Text Messages in Deceptive Communication Giles Gondouin Department of Psychology and Counseling Clinical Psychology Master’s Program Roosevelt University Abstract This study explores how individuals emotionally respond to fake text messages, specifically focusing on the "head" (sender and salutation) and the "body" (content and closing) of the message. More importantly, it investigates how altering the sender's identity—by editing the name and phone number—can make a message appear as if it came from someone else, thus influencing emotional reactions. A total of 98 college students participated in the study, where they evaluated their emotional responses to five fabricated text messages with varying sender identities and message tones. Results show that changing the sender's name and phone number can dramatically affect emotional reactions, with familiar senders and friendly greetings eliciting more positive responses, while messages from unfamiliar or deceptive senders evoked more negative emotional reactions. This research offers new insights into how the manipulation of text message metadata influences emotional communication, emphasizing the psychological effects of deception in the digital age. Introduction With the rise of digital communication, particularly through cell phone text messaging, the ability to manipulate and control the presentation of information has grown significantly. One such manipulation is the ability to change the sender's name and phone number, making a message appear to come from someone else. This ability has vast implications for emotional communication, as individuals rely on both the "head" (sender and salutation) and the "body" (message content and closing) of a text message to assess its emotional tone and relevance. Chicago, IL 60607 1 (773) 557-5531 https://www.linkedin.com/in/giles- gondouin-49a082296/