The study used an online survey to collect retrospective accounts of encounters with an instant enemy and an instant ally among American and Taiwanese respondents. The study analyzed the relative use of various word categories to examine ingroup/outgroup differences and cultural differences in the experience and perception of these encounters. The results showed that inclusive and positive emotion words were used more frequently to describe the instant ally encounters, while exclusive and negative emotion words were used more frequently in reports of the instant enemy encounters. Respondents' descriptions of instant ally encounters were more likely to be put into a context defined by words related to leisure, work, and space, whereas their descriptions of instant enemy encounters were more likely to ignore the context and focus instead on the type of person the instant enemy was, as defined by more personal pronouns and words denoting specific categories of humans. The study also replicated previous findings indicating that Asian respondents tend to have thoughts and perceptions that are more holistic and integrated than those of Western respondents, as indicated by more words related to cognitive and affective processes, insight, and awareness of causation. Overall, the study provides evidence that word-category usage can reveal both established and novel findings in comparisons of individuals from different cultures.

Authors:
Wen Cheng, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Yuyun Agus Riani, Communication Science Department, Brawijaya University, Indonesia

About the Presenter(s)
Professor Wen Cheng is a University Associate Professor/Senior Lecturer at National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (R.O.C.) in Taiwan

See this presentation on the full schedule – Friday Schedule

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