title: The complex interplay between semantics and grammar in impression formation.
abstract: We sought to bridge findings showing that (a) describing a person's behavior with the perfective verb aspect (did), compared to the imperfective aspect (was doing), increases processing of semantic knowledge unrelated to the target's action such as stereotypes and (b) an increased recognition of stereotypical thoughts often promotes a judgment correction for the stereotypes. We hypothesized an interplay between grammar (verb conjugation) and semantic information (gender) in impression-formation. Participants read a resume, attributed to a male or female, for a traditionally masculine job. When the resume was written in the imperfective, people rated a male (vs. female) more positively. When the resume was in the perfective, this pattern reversed. Only these latter effects of gender were influenced by cognitive load. Further, people more quickly indicated the applicant's gender in the perfective condition, suggesting an enhanced focus on gender during processing.
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama, United States. Electronic address: wbshreves@crimson.ua.edu.
authors.forename: Wyley B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Shreves
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama, United States. Electronic address: wphart@gmail.com.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama, United States.
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.affiliation: National Science Foundation, United States.
authors.forename: Rosanna E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Guadagno
authors.affiliation: Bellevue University, United States.
authors.forename: Cassie A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Eno
mesh_terms: D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007600:Judgment; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D012660:Semantics; D012737:Sex Factors; D012919:Social Behavior
keywords: Impression formation; Language; Social cognition; Verbs