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Language Use and Stereotyping: the Role of Approach and Avoidance Motivation Goals

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2013

Lorena Gil de Montes ,
Garbiñe Ortiz ,
José F. Valencia ,
Maider Larrañaga  and
Arrate Agirrezabal
Lorena Gil de Montes
Affiliation:
Universidad del País Vasco (Spain)
Garbiñe Ortiz
Affiliation:
Universidad del País Vasco (Spain)
José F. Valencia*
Affiliation:
Universidad del País Vasco (Spain)
Maider Larrañaga
Affiliation:
Universidad del País Vasco (Spain)
Arrate Agirrezabal
Affiliation:
Universidad del País Vasco (Spain)
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Jose Francisco Valencia. Avda. de Tolosa, 70, 20018 - San Sebastian (Spain). Phone: +34-943015680. Fax: +34-943015670. E-mail: pspvagaj@ss.ehu.es
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Abstract

The use of more abstract language to describe expected behaviors as opposed to unexpected behaviors has traditionally been considered a way of stereotype maintenance. This tendency is known as linguistic expectancy bias. Two experiments examined the influence of approach and avoidance motivational orientations on the production of this linguistic expectancy bias. It was predicted that approach strategic orientation is likely to describe expectancy consistent behaviors at a higher level of linguistic abstraction than expectancy inconsistent behaviors. In contrast, avoidance strategic orientation is likely to describe both expectancy consistent behaviors and expectancy inconsistent behaviors at a lower level of linguistic abstraction, thus facilitating the disappearance of linguistic expectancy bias. Two experiments confirmed these expectations, using strategic orientation manipulations based either on communication goals or on motor action, and measuring linguistic abstraction either on forced-choice answer format or on free descriptions. Implications for the generalisation of linguistic expectancy bias are discussed.

El uso de un lenguaje más abstracto para describir los comportamientos congruentes con las expectativas que los comportamientos incongruentes con las expectativas es una forma de mantener los estereotipos. Esta tendencia se conoce como el sesgo lingüístico de expectativa. Dos experimentos analizan la influencia de las orientaciones motivacionales de aproximación y evitación en la producción del sesgo lingüístico de expectativa. Se predijo que la orientación estratégica de aproximación promovería que comportamientos consistentes con la expectativa se describiesen con un mayor nivel de abstracción lingüística que los comportamientos inconsistentes con la expectativa. En cambio, la orientación estratégica de evitación induciría a que tanto los comportamientos consistentes como los inconsistentes con las expectativas se describiesen a un menor nivel de abstracción, facilitando con ello la desaparición del sesgo lingüístico de expectativa. Los dos experimentos que se presentan confirmaron dichas predicciones utilizando manipulaciones de orientación estratégica de aproximación y evitación formuladas en forma de metas comunicativas y en forma de acción motora. Además, se midió la abstracción lingüística tanto en formato de respuesta de elección múltiple como en descripción libre. El artículo debate las implicaciones de los estudios para la generalización del sesgo lingüístico de expectativa.

Keywords

linguistic abstractionexpectancy biascommunication goalsmotor actionabstracción lingüísticasesgo de expectativametas comunicativasacción motora
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 15 , Issue 3 , November 2012 , pp. 1210 - 1221
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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