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Effects of communication goals and expectancies on language abstraction.

Douglas, Karen, Sutton, Robbie M. (2003) Effects of communication goals and expectancies on language abstraction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84 (4). pp. 692-696. ISSN 0022-3514. (doi:10.1037/0022-3514.84.4.682) (KAR id:4239)

Abstract

Language abstraction is an important aspect of the description of behavioral events (G.R. Semin & K. Fiedler, 1988) that is typically viewed as a medium by which describers transmit beliefs without conscious awareness or control. Complementary to this view, the authors propose that language abstraction may also be influenced by explicit communication goals such as aggrandizement or derogation, allowing describers to express beliefs that they do not themselves possess. Five studies are reported that support this proposal, showing that explicit communication goals have strong effects on language abstraction that are independent of effects of describers' beliefs or expectancies. Language abstraction is therefore both a medium for the transmission of existing beliefs and a tool by which communicators can create new beliefs

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1037/0022-3514.84.4.682
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Depositing User: Karen Douglas
Date Deposited: 09 Jun 2008 10:19 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 09:42 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/4239 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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