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Language as a Social Cue
This week’s email is about how the language that people use shapes our perception of them (and vice versa).
Here are the key practical points you should know (mainly from this research article):
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People’s language has fundamental social meaning in the eyes of others.
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We use various aspects of other people’s language to categorize them, like when we perceive someone as low or high status based on what vocabulary they use, what accent they have, or even what language they speak.
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We often essentialize language groups, meaning that we view speakers of different languages as being fundamentally different when it comes to factors other than their language.
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When using language as a social cue, we often display in-group favoritism, by preferring those who speak like us, and attention to status, by preferring those who speak in a way that’s associated with a higher status.
This can be useful for understanding both how others perceive us and how we perceive others.
As always, I’m happy to hear your thoughts.
Have a great week,
Itamar
