Chapter 4 Flashcards
Abstraction ladder
A range of more to less abstract terms describing an event or object
Abstract language
Language that lacks specificity or does not refer to observable behavior or other sensory data
Behavioral description
An account that refers only to observable phenomena
Convergence
Accommodating one’s speaking style to another person, who usually is desirable or has higher status
Divergence
A linguistic strategy in which speakers emphasize differences between their communicative style and others’ in order to create distance
Emotive Language
Language that conveys the sender’s attitude rather than simplify offering an objective description
Equivocal Words
Words that have more than one dictionary definition
Equivocation
A vague statement that can be interpreted in more than one way
Euphemism
A pleasant-sounding term used in place of a more direct but less pleasant one
Factual Statement
A statement that can be verified as being true or false
Inferential Statement
A conclusion arrived from an interpretation of evidence
Jargon
The specialized vocabulary that is used as a kind of shorthand by people with common backgrounds and experience
Language
A collection of symbols, governed by rules and used to convey messages between individuals
Linguistic Intergroup bias
The tendency to label people and behaviors in terms that reflect their in group or out-group status
Linguistic Relativism
A moderate form of linguistic determinism that argues that language exerts a strong influence on the perceptions of the people who speak it
