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How Spanish speakers express norms using generic person markers
Cristina E Salvador1, Ariana Orvell2, Ethan Kross3,4
1Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, 417 Chapel Drive, Box 90086, Durham, NC, 27708, USA. cristina.salvador@duke.edu.
Scientific Reports
|March 24, 2022
Summary
Spanish speakers use informal "you" and "se" to express norms, not formal "you." Both formal and informal "you," along with "se," influence how Spanish speakers interpret unfamiliar social norms.
Area of Science:
- Linguistics
- Social Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Language is a key mechanism for transmitting social norms across societies.
- English uses a generic "you" to express norms, but Spanish presents a unique case with formal/informal "you" and distinct person markers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how Spanish language structures (formal/informal "you," generic person markers) facilitate norm transmission and interpretation.
- To compare norm expression and interpretation in Spanish with English generic "you."
Main Methods:
- Study 1a-b: Surveyed 838 Spanish speakers on their use of "you" and "se" to express norms versus preferences.
- Study 2: Examined how 300 Spanish speakers interpreted unfamiliar norms when presented using formal "you," informal "you," or impersonal "se."
Main Results:
- Spanish speakers predominantly used informal "you" and the generic person marker "se" to express social norms, excluding the formal "you."
- Formal "you," informal "you," and impersonal "se" all demonstrated persuasive influence on the interpretation of novel norms, outweighing personal endorsements.
Conclusions:
- Linguistic variations in Spanish, particularly the use of informal "you" and "se," play a significant role in conveying social norms.
- The structure of language, including pronoun choice and person marking, subtly shapes cognitive processes related to norm understanding and social influence.
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