Linguistic Category Model The starting point Try to

Linguistic Category Model The starting point

Try to describe the event

• A kicks B • A hurts B • A hates B • A is aggressive

Linguistic categories • A kicks B (Descriptive Action Verbs) 1 • A hurts B (Interpretative Action Verbs) 2 • A hates B (State Verbs) 3 • A is aggressive (Adjectives) 4

• • 2 DAV * 1 = 2 1 IAV * 2 = 2 3 SV *3 = 9 1 adj *4 = 4 • 17/8

• Coenen, L. , Hedebouw, L. , & Semin, G. R. (2006). Measuring language abstraction: The Linguistic Category Model (LCM). Retrieved April 2007, from • http: //www. cratylus. org

Linguistic Categories: Classification Criteria • DAV – Reference to one particular activity and to physically invariant features – Action has a clear beginning and end – Valence dependent on context

Linguistic Categories: Classification Criteria • IAV – Reference to multitude of behaviors – Defined action with beginning and end – Valence dependent on semantic

Linguistic Categories: Classification Criteria • SV – Reference to mental and emotional state – No clear definition of beginning and end – Do not readily take progressive forms – Not freely used in imperatives

Linguistic Categories: Classification Criteria • Adjectives – Characteristic or feature of a person – Qualification of object, situation, or act

Linguistic Categories: psychological properties

Linguistic Categories: psychological properties • • • Enduringness Generalization Subject informativeness Situative informativeness Verifiability Disputability

Linguistic Categories: psychological properties enduringness DAV IAV SV ADJ generalization Subject Situation verifiability disputability

Linguistic Categories Model: Is it a continuum? • Random selection of : DAV ISV SV ADJ Presenting participants with short sentences (A kisses B)

Continuum? • (a) How revealing is the attribute (action) about the subject of the sentence? (subject informativeness) • (b) How enduring a quality does the attribute (action) in this sentence express about the subject? (endurability) • (c) To what extent can the content of the above statement be objectively verified? (verifiability), • (d) If the above statement were mentioned by someone, how likely is it that it could potentially lead to disagreement? (disputability) • (e) How much does the above sentence reveal about a specific and concrete situation in which the subject is? (situative informativeness)

Continuum? • Discriminant Anlayses on participants’ ratings – 4 categories that mirrored the LCM – Few words mismatched • Linear Increasing

Results

Linguistic Categories: psychological properties enduringness DAV IAV SV ADJ generalization Subject Situation verifiability disputability

Linguistic Categories: psychological properties DAV IAV SV ADJ Concrete Abstract