Benoît Testé

How the Linguistic Intergroup Bias Affects Group Perception: Effects of Language Abstraction on Generalization to the Group

ABSTRACT The present research investigated whether the impact of the Linguistic Intergroup Bias (LIB; Maass, 1999) is related to the effects of linguistic abstraction on social attribution (Yzerbyt & Rogier, 2001). We did this by assessing the impact of abstract descriptions versus concrete descriptions on the generalization of a group members behaviors to the whole group. A targets behaviors were more attributed to the group when the description was abstract than when it was concrete, and this effect of language abstraction was stronger when the description was positive than when it was negative. Our results provide an insight into how the LIB is involved in the perpetuation of intergroup bias.

How You Describe a Group Shows How Biased You Are Language Abstraction and Inferences About a Speaker’s Communicative Intentions and Attitudes Toward a Group

The aim of the present research was to show that the level of linguistic abstraction used when describing group behaviors affects inferences about the speaker’s degree of bias toward that group. Participants used a speaker’s description of a group to judge that person’s communicative intentions (Study 1) and attitudes (Study 2) toward the group. The results show that speakers who use abstract terms are perceived as more biased than speakers who use concrete terms.

Attentes langagières et réception de l’information médiatique judiciaire

EnglishAim of the present research was to show how stylistic conformity of press articles influence evaluation of its contents typicity and credibility, considering reader�s expectancy. First, a discourse analysis of judicial press articles was conducted. On this base, judiciary writing style was manipulated in order to obtain three press articles (congruent, incongruent or extremised). Two experimental studies were conducted. In study 1 (N = 141), participants had to compare two articles and to evaluate their typicity. In study 2 (N = 140), participants read one article and made typicity and credibility evaluations. Results showed that stylistic conformity influence evaluation of the press article�s typicity and objectivity. The participants reading frequence only had little effect on results. francaisL�objectif de la presente recherche etait de montrer que la conformite stylistique d�un article de presse affecte la perception de sa typicite et la credibilite attribuee a son contenu, du fait des attentes des recepteurs en matiere de style d�ecriture. Une analyse propositionnelle du discours a d�abord ete operee sur un corpus d�articles de la presse quotidienne relatifs au genre judiciaire. Sur cette base, le style d�ecriture d�un article relatant une enquete a ete manipule. Trois versions ont ete constituees, le style pouvant s�averer congruent, incongruent ou extremise par rapport a la norme langagiere. Les resultats des deux etudes realises (N = 141 et N = 140) ont indique que la conformite stylistique de l�article a influence la perception de sa typicite et l�evaluation de son objectivite par les participants. La frequence de la lecture des articles judiciaires declaree par les participants n�a que peu d�effet sur les resultats.

The Role of Rape-Supportive Attitudes, Alcohol, and Sexual Arousal in Sexual (Mis)Perception: An Experimental Study

While sexual misperception does not irrevocably lead to sexual aggression, it remains a significant risk factor. The present study investigated the effects of rape-supportive attitudes, alcohol, and sexual arousal on sexual perception. We used a 2 × 2 between-participants factorial design to randomly assign 135 men from the general population to a condition with or without alcohol (blood alcohol concentration target of .08%) and to a condition with or without sexual arousal. Participants were asked to listen to an audiotape depicting a sexual interaction between a man and woman and to indicate if and when they believed the woman was no longer interested in having sex. Results, obtained through survival analyses, indicate that the effects of rape-supportive attitudes on sexual misperception are moderated by alcohol consumption. Alcohol appears to be an important situational factor for activating men’s implicit theories. Our study sheds new light on the role of knowledge structures in sexual perception: It identifies when, as well as suggesting how, rape-supportive attitudes may disturb sexual perception and ultimately lead to sexual misperception.

Control Beliefs and Dehumanization

The present research examined the impact of the expression of internal versus external control beliefs on attributions of humanness. Building on previous findings on the cultural norm of internality and the dehumanization of others in social perceptions, we hypothesized that, in a Western society, an individual’s expression of an internal locus of control (i.e., internality) results in a greater degree of humanization of that individual by others than an individual’s expression of an external locus of control (i.e., externality). Two studies examined the effect of a target’s expression of internality (vs. externality) on the attribution or denial of humanness to that target. We measured the targets’ degree of humanization via the mentalization of each target, assessed using the Mind Attribution Scale, and via attributions of uniquely vs. nonuniquely human characteristics (emotions in Study 1, traits in Study 2). Participants also judged the target’s likability. In line with our hypothesis, the target’s expression of internality (compared to externality) consistently resulted in the participants making stronger attributions of humanness to the target. In addition, covariance analyses showed that the participants ascribed more humanness to targets with an internal than with an external locus of control, independent of the target’s likability.

“Homosexual Marriage” or “Marriage for All”? Social Lexical Markers’ Effects on Persuasion

In 2013, the French parliament legalized marriage between same-sex persons. One issue of debate was to define whether people were debating about “marriage for everybody” as claimed by the supporters of the law or about “homosexual marriage” as the opponents labeled it. This research aims to analyze the effects of social lexical markers (SLM) reflecting social groups of opinions elicit when embedded in a persuasive message. A first study showed that SLM are explicitly identified by people but only when embedded in a low-quality arguments persuasive message. SLM also increased identification certainty when they are concordant with arguments’ orientation. A second study demonstrated that, whatever the quality of argumentation, argument orientation guides both cognitive responses and attitude change. Furthermore, SLM reinforced effects of argumentation orientation when they are concordant with arguments orientation. These results are discussed in light of the elaboration likelihood model and intergroup processes.