Linguistic intergroup bias
Linguistic Intergroup Bias , also language distortion in the intergroup context , describes a social psychological theory that deals with subtle linguistic mechanisms of communication between groups . It is based on the linguistic category model according to Semin and Fiedler.
Assumptions
The theory of social identity by Henri Tajfel states that individuals make a categorization in -group (ingroup) and outgroup (outgroup) . Group identification is the starting point for creating a social identity. Linked to this is the pursuit of positive self-worth . This can be achieved by means of (preference for) ingroup (identity) and thus by delimitation and a relative comparison with an outgroup.
When describing the actions of group members, different linguistic categories can be selected. In the context of the linguistic category model, Semin and Fiedler differentiate between four categories which differ in their abstraction and thus allow different conclusions to be drawn about the person involved.
| Level of abstraction | Negative behavior | Positive behavior | Degree of abstraction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Descriptive action verb | "The man beats a person." | "The man is stroking the dog." | concrete |
| Interpretative action verb | "The man hurts a person." | "The man is caressing the dog." | |
| State association | "The man hates a person." | "The man likes the dog." | |
| adjective | "The man is aggressive." | "The man loves animals." | abstract |
All (four of each) statements can apply equally as "correct" or "true" when describing an action. Nevertheless, a descriptive action verb only gives objective information about a concrete action and its specific situation reference. Interpretative action verbs represent a further level of abstraction and form a more general description category that does not allow any conclusions to be drawn about a specific action. For example, hurting or caressing a person can take place in very different (concrete) ways. State verbs do not allow any conclusions to be drawn about the actual action. Similar to adjectives, they show temporal stability in behavior and suggest dispositions of the subject.
Linguistic Intergroup Bias in the intergroup context describes the tendency of a group member to use linguistic categories to abstractly communicate positive information about the ingroup and negative information about the outgroup, while positive information about the outgroup and negative information about the ingroup are described more specifically.
| Negative behavior | Positive behavior | |
|---|---|---|
| Ingroup | Concrete | abstract |
| Outgroup | abstract | Concrete |
Origin context
Based on the biases that result from group membership and that have been confirmed in numerous studies in different contexts, Maass et al. also from a preference for the ingroup, which is reflected linguistically. At the same time, so the assumption, a linguistic discrimination against the outgroup should also be proven.
experiment
To prove the hypothesis, social groups had to be found that are in a significant cultural context. In Ferrara, northern Italy , such social groups were identified as part of the annual Palio , in which parts of the city compete against each other in hard-fought horse races .
During the competition weeks, a total of 15 women and 36 men took part in a study from two districts that were equal in the competition. The experiments were carried out in the respective clubhouse of the district. The subjects were shown 16 cartoons each, in which a member of the own or the opposing club was shown during an action. Half of the pictures represented negative and the other half positive, i.e. desirable actions. In addition, some of the pictures only showed the actors and some interactions with each other. Furthermore, there was a subdivision into general actions (e.g. kicking a dog) and actions that relate specifically to the Palio (e.g. doping the horse). The test subjects were told in advance that the actions were based on true events, but the anonymity of the respective actors within the investigation must be ensured in order to protect them, according to the investigator.
The subjects had to describe the pictures: To do this, they could tick one of four descriptions that related to the action depicted in the picture. The four possible descriptions differ in the degree of their linguistic abstraction, analogous to the linguistic category model. After ticking the descriptions, the desirability of the action should be rated on a scale.
Results
The experiment confirmed the initial hypothesis: the results showed a systematic connection between the selected linguistic abstraction and the desirability of the respective action for ingroup and outgroup: while for the positive behavior of the ingroup it was largely abstract and for the negative behavior of the ingroup If predominantly specific descriptions were chosen, the opposite applies to the outgroup. Here there was a tendency to describe positive behavior with concrete descriptions and negative behavior in abstract terms.
See also
literature
- A. Maass, D. Salvi, L. Arcuri, G. Semin: Language use in intergroup contexts: the linguistic intergroup bias. In: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 57 (6) 1989, pp. 981-993.
- A. Maass, A. Milesi, S. Zabbini, D. Stahlberg: Linguistic intergroup bias: Differential expectancies or in-group protection? In: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 68 (1) 1995, pp. 116-126.
- GR Semin, K. Fiedler: The cognitive functions of linguistic categories in describing persons: Social cognition and language. In: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 54 (4) 1988, pp. 558-568.
- GR Semin, K. Fiedler: The Linguistic Category Model, its Bases, Applications and Range. In: European Review of Social Psychology. 2, 1 1991.