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Stereotypes and semantic space
548
22 STEREOTYPES AND SEMANTIC SPACE BY
E. TERRY PRCrmRO
(American Universityof Beirut, Lebanon) Studies by C. E. Osgood and other,, have shown that a large part of the connotative aspect of judgment can be described in terms of the three orthogonal factors of evaluation, pc tency, and activity-passivity. These factors constitute "dimensions of semantic space". We applied the factorial approach to the study of ratings which Arabs gave to Italians, Turks, and Germans on 41 adjective-scales. From the ratings so obtained it was possible to describe the stereotypes of our subjects in considerably greatei detail than could have been done by using the classical Katz and Braly technique for the ascertaining of stereotypes. Factor analyses of the ratings revealed three factors wttich seemed to be those found by Osgood. It was possible to describe the stereotypes of our subjects in terms of these factors. ~uch a description added depth to the usual report on attitudes, even though it accounted for less than half the total variance on the 41 scales. These findings suggest that the study of international attitudes would profit by using the concept of"semantic space". They also suggest a technique for the systematic analysis of the patterning in the use of adjectives which has been observed by such Gestalt psychologists as S. Asch. Finally, these results suggest that correlations heretofore attributed to rater error (e.g. to "halo effect") may reflect genuine overlap in the meaning of trait n~tmes.
SOCIAL CONFORMITY TWO APPLICATIONS OF THE CONCEPT ltY HALL^ BELOFF
(University of Belfast) In current psychological literature the term conformity is applied to two rather distinct phenomena: I. Agreement with expressed group opinion in a particular experimental situation, involving social pressure from a group. This agreement is usually arranged to involve inconsistency with previously elicited
22 STEREOTYPES AND SEMANTIC SPACE BY
E. TERRY PRCrmRO
(American Universityof Beirut, Lebanon) Studies by C. E. Osgood and other,, have shown that a large part of the connotative aspect of judgment can be described in terms of the three orthogonal factors of evaluation, pc tency, and activity-passivity. These factors constitute "dimensions of semantic space". We applied the factorial approach to the study of ratings which Arabs gave to Italians, Turks, and Germans on 41 adjective-scales. From the ratings so obtained it was possible to describe the stereotypes of our subjects in considerably greatei detail than could have been done by using the classical Katz and Braly technique for the ascertaining of stereotypes. Factor analyses of the ratings revealed three factors wttich seemed to be those found by Osgood. It was possible to describe the stereotypes of our subjects in terms of these factors. ~uch a description added depth to the usual report on attitudes, even though it accounted for less than half the total variance on the 41 scales. These findings suggest that the study of international attitudes would profit by using the concept of"semantic space". They also suggest a technique for the systematic analysis of the patterning in the use of adjectives which has been observed by such Gestalt psychologists as S. Asch. Finally, these results suggest that correlations heretofore attributed to rater error (e.g. to "halo effect") may reflect genuine overlap in the meaning of trait n~tmes.
SOCIAL CONFORMITY TWO APPLICATIONS OF THE CONCEPT ltY HALL^ BELOFF
(University of Belfast) In current psychological literature the term conformity is applied to two rather distinct phenomena: I. Agreement with expressed group opinion in a particular experimental situation, involving social pressure from a group. This agreement is usually arranged to involve inconsistency with previously elicited