How do we communicate stereotypes? Linguistic bases and inferential consequences.

Abstract

The linguistic expectancy bias is defined as the tendency to describe expectancy-consistent information at a higher level of abstraction than expectancy-inconsistent information. The communicative consequences of this bias were examined in 3 experiments. Analyses of judgments that recipients made on the basis of linguistically biased information generated by transmitters indicated that behavior in expectancy-consistent messages was attributed more to dispositional and less to situational factors than behavior in expectancy-inconsistent messages. Moreover, this effect was mediated by the level of linguistic abstraction of the messages. These findings provide direct evidence for the hypothesis that recipients are sensitive to variations in linguistic abstraction in spontaneous language use because of stereotypes. Results are discussed with respect to the interpersonal aspects of stereotyping.

Cites (5)

1. Logic and Conversation
   Grice, H. P. · 1975 · Speech Acts
2. The Social Identity Theory of Intergroup Behavior
   Tajfel, Henri, Turner, John C. · 2004 · Political Psychology
3. From acts to dispositions the attribution process in person perception
   Jones, Edward E., Davis, Keith E. · 1965 · Advances in Experimental Social Psychology
4. The cognitive functions of linguistic categories in describing persons: Social cognition and language.
   Semin, Gün R., Fiedler, Klaus · 1988 · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
5. Linguistic intergroup bias: Differential expectancies or in-group protection?
   Maass, Anne, Milesi, Angela, Zabbini, Silvia, Stahlberg, Dagmar · 1995 · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

Show all 5 references

Cited by (7)

1. Social Identity, Self-Categorization, and the Communication of Group Norms
   Hogg, Michael A., Reid, Scott A. · 2006 · Communication Theory
2. Socially Situated Cognition: Cognition in its Social Context
   Smith, Eliot R., Semin, Gün R. · 2004 · Advances in Experimental Social Psychology
3. Why do providers contribute to disparities and what can be done about it?
   Burgess, Diana J., Fu, Steven S., Ryn, Michelle · 2004 · Journal of General Internal Medicine
4. Speaker Introductions at Internal Medicine Grand Rounds: Forms of Address Reveal Gender Bias
   Files, Julia A., Mayer, Anita P., Ko, Marcia G., Friedrich, Patricia, Jenkins, Marjorie, Bryan, Michael J., Vegunta, Suneela, Wittich, Christopher M., Lyle, Melissa A., Melikian, Ryan et al. · 2017 · Journal of Women's Health
5. Does stereotype threat affect women in academic medicine?
   Burgess, Diana Jill, Joseph, Anne, van Ryn, Michelle, Carnes, Molly · 2012 · Academic Medicine

See all 232