What They Did or Who They Are? An Examination of Linguistic Intergroup Bias in Media and Public Reponses to Corporate Crises

• In Event: ICA Interactive Paper/Poster Session III
  In Interactive Paper Session: Public Relations Interactive Poster Session

Abstract

Through the application of the linguistic categorization component of the Linguistic Intergroup Bias (LIB) theory to crisis communication, this study investigated the associations between linguistic abstraction, attribution perception, crisis emotions and coping strategies. Through a content analysis, linguistic categories used in both media posts reporting three types of crisis and public comments on Facebook were examined. The publics’ emotions and coping strategies on Facebook were also examined. Results indicated that linguistic abstraction in both media post and public comments describing the crisis varied based on crisis type, suggesting that the level of linguistic abstraction reflected perceived attribution of responsibility level. Language used to describe preventable crisis tend to be more abstract than those used to describe accidental and victim crisis. A clear connection among linguistic abstraction, publics’ crisis emotions and coping strategies was also established.

Authors

• Xiaochen Zhang, Kansas State U

• Jonathan Borden

• Jooyun Hwang, Elon U