Abstract:
Although language is well understood as a social construct, little attention has been given to the effect of semantically constructed meaning on individual perception. When people talk about themselves or others, subtle variations in linguistic style can influence evaluations of the subject. The current study was designed to examine differences in evaluation based on the principle of linguistic abstraction. Semantic language exists on a spectrum between the concrete (what is physically present) and the abstract (that which exists solely as an ideological concept). Abstraction influences the extent to which a listener infers a casual attribution about the subject. Two mock letters of recommendation were prepared that varied as a function of abstract language. It was hypothesized that a job candidate who was described more abstractly would be viewed more positively than one who was described concretely. Results of the study and its implications for future research are discussed at length.
