A new study finds that metaphors can shape the debate about how best to fight crime:
Psychology Assistant Professor Lera Boroditsky and doctoral candidate Paul Thibodeau have shown that people will likely support an increase in police forces and jailing of offenders if crime is described as a “beast” preying on a community. But if people are told crime is a “virus” infecting a city, they are more inclined to treat the problem with social reform.
[. . .]
“Some estimates suggest that one out of every 25 words we encounter is a metaphor,” said Thibodeau, the study’s lead author. “But we didn’t know the extent to which these metaphors influence people.”
While their research focused on attitudes about crime, their findings can be used to understand the implications of how a casual or calculated turn of phrase can influence debates and change minds.
“We can’t talk about any complex situation — like crime — without using metaphors,” said Boroditsky, an assistant professor of psychology. “Metaphors aren’t just used for flowery speech. They shape the conversation for things we’re trying to explain and figure out. And they have consequences for determining what we decide is the right approach to solving problems.”
May 17th, 2011 | 10:59 am
I suppose this is what happens when we neglect education in the humanities: the obvious becomes a news flash.
May 17th, 2011 | 4:46 pm
In South Africa a certain ‘traditional’ song is now contentious. The words of the song contain the phrase ‘Kill the farmer’ and more than a thousand white farmers have been brutally murdered. The ruling ANC and Julius Malema are in favor of this song.
The question is whether the words of the song can cause enough hatred to have caused the atrocities. Should it be banned, although it has been claimed to be a historical ‘struggle’ song?
May 18th, 2011 | 9:16 am
“Should it be banned, although it has been claimed to be a historical ‘struggle’ song?”
Perhaps not, but being a struggle song is not the reason why. The left seems to have a romanticism for revolutionary violence that is remarkably similar to the romanticism of international violence. Revolutionism is the militarism of the Left. And while at least no individual except a head of state can start a war, any fool can commit a crime and call it a revolution.
May 19th, 2011 | 6:34 pm
[...] study reports that it isn’t just the content of the information that matters but the wording too, that [...]
May 20th, 2011 | 7:02 pm
[...] How Metaphors Shape the Debate About Crime Fighting (Science Daily, via First Thoughts) [...]
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