title: Inferring Identity From Language: Linguistic Intergroup Bias Informs Social Categorization.
abstract: The present research examined whether a communicator's verbal, implicit message regarding a target is used as a cue for inferring that communicator's social identity. Previous research has found linguistic intergroup bias (LIB) in individuals' speech: They use abstract language to describe in-group targets' desirable behaviors and concrete language to describe their undesirable behaviors (favorable LIB), but use concrete language for out-group targets' desirable behaviors and abstract language for their undesirable behaviors (unfavorable LIB). Consequently, one can infer the type of language a communicator is likely to use to describe in-group and out-group targets. We hypothesized and found evidence for the reverse inference. Across four studies, individuals inferred a communicator's social identity on the basis of the communicator's use of an LIB. Specifically, participants more strongly believed that a communicator and target shared a social identity when the communicator used the favorable, rather than the unfavorable, LIB in describing that target.
authors.affiliation: Consortium on School Research, University of Chicago shanette@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Shanette C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Porter
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Northwestern University Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rheinschmidt-Same
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Northwestern University Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University.
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Richeson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D011578:Psycholinguistics / Q000379:methods*; D012933:Social Identification; D013060:Speech; D014705:Verbal Behavior
keywords: attitudes; intergroup dynamics; language; open data; social cognition; social perception