Ideology Interpretation

Principal Investigator(s):  View help for Principal Investigator(s) Thomas Holtgraves, Ball State University; Ky Bray, Ball State University

Version:  View help for Version V1

Name File Type Size Last Modified
Three replications combined conversation Interpretation meta_dataset_2021.sav application/x-spss-sav 191.5 KB 03/02/2021 04:49:AM
Three replications combined conversation Interpretation output_2021.spv application/java-archive 286.8 KB 03/02/2021 04:49:AM

Project Citation: 

Holtgraves, Thomas, and Bray, Ky. Ideology Interpretation. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2021-03-02. https://doi.org/10.3886/E133861V1

Project Description

Summary:  View help for Summary We investigated differences between liberals and conservatives in the interpretation of conversation utterances with potential indirect meanings. Past research demonstrating cognitive differences between conservatives and liberals suggests liberals should be more likely than conservatives to engage in cognitive processes designed to uncover potential indirect meanings in conversation utterances. To test this, we created a conversation containing five types of utterances with potential indirect meanings (indirect request, indirect reply, scalar expression, negative gradable adjective, conditional offer) and asked liberals and conservatives to rate the likelihood of an indirect interpretation of each. In three replications (Total N = 664) liberals were significantly more likely to endorse indirect interpretations of these utterances than were conservatives. Several possible cognitive mediators (Empathy Quotient, Need for Cognition, Cognitive Flexibility) were examined but did not account for the effect. The results demonstrate an important interactional implication of the cognitive processing differences between liberals and conservatives.
Funding Sources:  View help for Funding Sources National Science Foundation (BCS- 1917631)

Scope of Project

Subject Terms:  View help for Subject Terms Experimental Pragmatics; Political Ideology; Indirect Meaning; Conversation Interpretation
Geographic Coverage:  View help for Geographic Coverage United States
Time Period(s):  View help for Time Period(s) 7/2020 – 11/2020 (Date range Replications 1-3)
Collection Date(s):  View help for Collection Date(s) 7/2020 – 7/2020 (Replication 1); 10/2020 – 10/2020 (Replication 2); 11/2020 – 11/2020 (Replication 3)
Universe:  View help for Universe Participants were 18 years of age or older, citizens of the United States, and self-identified as either liberal or conservative. Participants were of varying socioeconomic statutuses, educational backgrounds, and genders. 
Data Type(s):  View help for Data Type(s) experimental data

Methodology

Response Rate:  View help for Response Rate Of the 700 participants recruited, 665  participated in the study. 
Scales:  View help for Scales Empathy Quotient 
Need for Cognition
Cognitive Reflection Task
Unit(s) of Observation:  View help for Unit(s) of Observation Socioeconomic status, Education, Political ideology, Indirect utterance interpretation

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Published Versions

V1 [2021-03-02]

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