TY - JOUR
T1 - Language of responsibility
T2 - the influence of linguistic abstraction on collective moral emotions
AU - Bilewicz, Michał
AU - Stefaniak, Anna
AU - Witkowska, Marta
AU - Hansen, Karolina
N1 - Funding information: The research and the preparation of this article were funded by the National Science Center Sonata grant (2012/05/D/HS6/03431) and Beethoven grant (2014/15/G/HS6/04589). Writing of this paper by Karolina Hansen was supported by the Foundation for Polish Science scholarship (START 030.2015-W).
PY - 2017/6/8
Y1 - 2017/6/8
N2 - Two experiments investigated the effects of linguistic abstractness on the experience of collective moral emotions. In Experiment 1 participants were presented with two scenarios about ingroup misbehavior, phrased using descriptive action verbs, interpretative action verbs, adjectives or nouns. The results show that participants experienced slightly more negative moral emotions with higher levels of linguistic abstractness. In Experiment 2 we also tested for the influence of national identification on the relationship between linguistic abstractness and emotional reactions. Additionally, we expanded the number of scenarios. Experiment 2 replicated the earlier pattern, but found larger differences between conditions. The strength of national identification did not moderate the observed effects. The results of this research are discussed within the context of the linguistic category model and psychology of collective moral emotions.
AB - Two experiments investigated the effects of linguistic abstractness on the experience of collective moral emotions. In Experiment 1 participants were presented with two scenarios about ingroup misbehavior, phrased using descriptive action verbs, interpretative action verbs, adjectives or nouns. The results show that participants experienced slightly more negative moral emotions with higher levels of linguistic abstractness. In Experiment 2 we also tested for the influence of national identification on the relationship between linguistic abstractness and emotional reactions. Additionally, we expanded the number of scenarios. Experiment 2 replicated the earlier pattern, but found larger differences between conditions. The strength of national identification did not moderate the observed effects. The results of this research are discussed within the context of the linguistic category model and psychology of collective moral emotions.
KW - Linguistic abstractness
KW - Linguistic category model
KW - Collective emotions
KW - National identification
U2 - 10.1515/plc-2017-0001
DO - 10.1515/plc-2017-0001
M3 - Article
SN - 2083-8506
VL - 21
SP - 1
EP - 15
JO - Psychology of Language and Communication
JF - Psychology of Language and Communication
IS - 1
ER -