Language May Help Create, Not Just Convey, Thoughts and Feelings

[Ellen Contini-Morava]

This reminds me of a study (in the 1970's?) of Israeli Arab men who were 
bilingual in Hebrew and Arabic, exposed to arguments against smoking and 
drinking, that manipulated the variables of language and whether the 
basis of the argument was religion or health/science.    Respondents 
found the religion-based arguments more effective when delivered in 
Arabic, and the health/science based arguments when delivered in 
Hebrew.  I unfortunately don't remember the source.

Ellen

On 11/3/2010 5:01 PM, Brian MacWhinney wrote:
> Jess and Alex,
>
> I have used this example from Susan's study of the Nisei women informants in my classes in both Psycholinguistic and Crosscultural Psychology for the last 33 years.  Of course Susan was my advisor.  But note that her findings, as displayed most poignantly on page 96 are about identity or self-image, not about attitudes towards out-group members.  Of course, I would expect similar results for that area, as the sciencedaily report suggests. Also, Lambert and others in Montréal did a lot of related work about personality perception as based on L2 accent.  I really don't see any evidence that any of these ideas have vanished.  How could they, given how obvious they are, at least in some regards?
>
> --Brian MacWhinney
>
> On Nov 3, 2010, at 4:34 PM, alex gross wrote:
>
> http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~ervintrp/pdf/An%20Analysis%20of%20the%20Interaction%20of%20Language,%20Topic%20and%20Listener.pdf
>
>>> I love you in English, feel ambivalent about it in French, but in Yahgan you all turn my stomach.
>> Thanks, Jess, I feel much the same wayS about everyone here.
>>
>> This finding has been around for a long time&  used to be considered basic in our field.
>>
>> Ervin-Tripp, 1964:
>>
>>
>> Can anyone guess why it has receded from us?
>>
>> All the best!
>>
>> alex
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "jess tauber"<phonosemantics at earthlink.net>
>> To:<funknet at mailman.rice.edu>
>> Sent: Wednesday, November 03, 2010 4:08 PM
>> Subject: [FUNKNET] Language May Help Create, Not Just Convey,Thoughts and Feelings
>>
>>
>>> http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101103111206.htm
>>>
>>> I love you in English, feel ambivalent about it in French, but in Yahgan you all turn my stomach.
>>>
>>> Jess Tauber
>>> phonosemantics at earthlink.net
>>