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Sunday, May 19, 2013

Words Matter

The internet is full of questionable jokes. Gay is a generic negative adjective, in gaming circles rape is used as a term for defeating your opponent, and many people enjoy some sexist and otherwise disparaging humor.

When people, especially moderators, step up and try to ask to skip these phrases, they are generally met with dismissive reactions. Can’t they take a joke? No one’s being hurt, it’s their fault if someone is offended – after all, it’s just words, right?

Sadly, that’s grossly underestimating the power of language and interaction.

Words Affect People

When someone joins a new group, the normal interaction, shared humor and so on all affect the impression of the group. If there is noticeable amounts of derogatory humor, like sexist jokes, the group is quickly perceived as supporting or accepting of sexists. This reaction can not be dismissed as the person simply not understanding humor. The enjoyment of sexist humor directly correlates with sexist attitudes of the people using them.[1]Linda M. Isbell, Dara Greenwood (2002-12-01). Ambivalent Sexism and the Dumb Blonde: Men's and Women's Reactions to Sexist Jokes. Psychology of Women Quarterly 26 (4): 341-350. doi:10.1111/1471-6402.t01-2-00073, ISSN 0361-6843,. Retrieved 2013-05-16.[2]Thomas E. Ford, Julie A. Woodzicka (2010-08-26). A Framework for Thinking about the (not-so-funny) Effects of Sexist Humor. Europe’s Journal of Psychology 6 (3): 174-195. doi:10.5964/ejop.v6i3.217, ISSN 1841-0413. p. 177. Thus, the reaction is entirely rational and normal[3]Erin R. Wentzel, Joli Lorion, Thomas E. Ford (2001). Effects of exposure to sexist humor on perceptions of normative tolerance of sexism. European Journal of Social Psychology 31 (6): 677–691. doi:10.1002/ejsp.56, ISSN 1099-0992. Retrieved 2013-05-16.. Tolerance towards derogatory humor has a tendency to drive away those who dislike such humor, and keeps those who like it, and as those tend to actually believe in those prejudices, the group will slowly tend towards a group of people with actual discriminatory attitudes.

But derogatory humor or expressions do not just simply affect group composition over time, they also affect people directly. Being exposed to sexist humor increases the tolerance of sex discrimination,[4]Thomas E. Ford (2000-11-01). Effects of Sexist Humor on Tolerance of Sexist Events. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 26 (9): 1094-1107. doi:10.1177/01461672002611006, ISSN 0146-1672, 1552-7433. Retrieved 2013-05-16. and even affects the behavior to be more prejudiced against women.[5]Christie F. Boxer, Jacob Armstrong, Jessica R. Edel, Thomas E. Ford (2008-02-01). More Than “Just a Joke”: The Prejudice-Releasing Function of Sexist Humor. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 34 (2): 159-170. doi:10.1177/0146167207310022, ISSN 0146-1672, 1552-7433. Retrieved 2013-05-16.[2]Thomas E. Ford, Julie A. Woodzicka (2010-08-26). A Framework for Thinking about the (not-so-funny) Effects of Sexist Humor. Europe’s Journal of Psychology 6 (3): 174-195. doi:10.5964/ejop.v6i3.217, ISSN 1841-0413. p. 182f. Similarly, using terms such as gay in a negative way increases an implicit anti-gay bias, even when the users are consciously disassociating the two meanings of the term.[6]Allison Louise Skinner, Gandalf Nicolas (2012). “That's So Gay!” Priming the General Negative Usage of the Word Gay Increases Implicit Anti-Gay Bias. The Journal of Social Psychology 152 (5): 654-658. doi:10.1080/00224545.2012.661803, ISSN 0022-4545. Retrieved 2013-05-17. Other studies have shown that this disassociation does not actually work, and that uses of group labels such as gay or fag as general negative terms do indeed activate stereotypes.[7]Anne Maass, Andrea Carnaghi (2007-06-01). In-Group and Out-Group Perspectives in the Use of Derogatory Group Labels Gay Versus Fag. Journal of Language and Social Psychology 26 (2): 142-156. doi:10.1177/0261927X07300077, ISSN 0261-927X, 1552-6526. Retrieved 2013-05-16. And it’s not just words. Simply seeing sex-typed video game characters increases tolerance towards real-life sexual harassment.[8]Brian P. Brown, Michael A. Collins, Karen E. Dill (2008-09). Effects of exposure to sex-stereotyped video game characters on tolerance of sexual harassment. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 44 (5): 1402-1408. doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2008.06.002, ISSN 0022-1031. Retrieved 2013-05-17.

It gets worse. Simply being exposed to sexist humor increases rape proclivity,[9]Mercedes Durán, Hugo Carretero-Dios, Jesús L. Megías, Miguel Moya, Mónica Romero-Sánchez (2010-12-01). Exposure to Sexist Humor and Rape Proclivity: The Moderator Effect of Aversiveness Ratings. Journal of Interpersonal Violence 25 (12): 2339-2350. doi:10.1177/0886260509354884, ISSN 0886-2605, 1552-6518. Retrieved 2013-05-16. in particular for acquaintance rape, and reduces the level of perceived seriousness of rape.[10]Manuela Thomae, Amy Cullen, Hannah Fernandez, G. Tendayi Viki (2007-12-16). The Effect of Sexist Humor and Type of Rape on Men's Self-Reported Rape Proclivity and Victim Blame. Current Research in Social Psychology 13 (10): 11.

Psychologists have created a theory on why humor has such an affect, called the Prejudiced Norm Theory.[11]Mark A. Ferguson, Thomas E. Ford (2004-02-01). Social Consequences of Disparagement Humor: A Prejudiced Norm Theory. Personality and Social Psychology Review 8 (1): 79-94. doi:10.1207/S15327957PSPR0801_4, ISSN 1088-8683, 1532-7957. Retrieved 2013-05-16. The basic observation therein is that jokes activate a non-serious mindset on part of the receiver, which makes it less likely for the message to be interpreted critically. A prejudiced joke implies a social norm, and due to the non-serious mindset, this social norm is more likely to be accepted, thus increasing the tolerance of discrimination.

Now, all of this does not mean that a single sexist joke will turn the average person into a sexist date rapist. These are all statistical effects. But it does mean that accepting derogatory jokes in a community is more than tolerance towards some form of humor. It creates an environment in which sexists thrive, and uncritical reproduction of jokes creates and perpetuates the very social norm implied in the joke.

We Affect Our Environment

The same observations as above can be turned around, though. Being unwelcoming to sexist humor will, on average, make sexists feel less welcome and non-sexist more welcome.

Also, it’s important to realize that such social interactions are often done out of peer pressure or the need to fit in. Using a phrase such as that’s so gay is positively correlated with hearing friends say it,[12]Michael L. Howell, Alex Kulick, Perry Silverschanz, Michael R. Woodford (2013-01-01). “That’s so Gay” Heterosexual Male Undergraduates and the Perpetuation of Sexual Orientation Microagressions on Campus. Journal of Interpersonal Violence 28 (2): 416-435. doi:10.1177/0886260512454719, ISSN 0886-2605, 1552-6518. Retrieved 2013-05-17. meaning that everyone can have a positive effect by simply using different phrases.

And we need not restrict ourselves to passivity. Actively stepping up and confronting expressions of intergroup prejudice causes tolerant behavior to spread to friends and acquaintances in a person’s social circles.[13]Elizabeth Levy Paluck (2011-03). Peer pressure against prejudice: A high school field experiment examining social network change. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 47 (2): 350-358. doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2010.11.017, ISSN 0022-1031. Retrieved 2013-05-18.

We can affect the world around us.

Conclusion

The words we use in everyday interaction affect reality. They affect the social environment, they affect the social norms of people, and they affect how people actually act in reality.

We need to work to reduce the amount of disparaging humor and slurs in our environment. This improves the general climate in our social groups and actively reduces discrimination.

And we need to stop to use the excuse of “it’s just words.”

Words matter.

Bibliography

  1. ^ Linda M. Isbell, Dara Greenwood (2002-12-01). Ambivalent Sexism and the Dumb Blonde: Men's and Women's Reactions to Sexist Jokes. Psychology of Women Quarterly 26 (4): 341-350. doi:10.1111/1471-6402.t01-2-00073, ISSN 0361-6843,. Retrieved 2013-05-16.
  2. ^ a b Thomas E. Ford, Julie A. Woodzicka (2010-08-26). A Framework for Thinking about the (not-so-funny) Effects of Sexist Humor. Europe’s Journal of Psychology 6 (3): 174-195. doi:10.5964/ejop.v6i3.217, ISSN 1841-0413.
  3. ^ Erin R. Wentzel, Joli Lorion, Thomas E. Ford (2001). Effects of exposure to sexist humor on perceptions of normative tolerance of sexism. European Journal of Social Psychology 31 (6): 677–691. doi:10.1002/ejsp.56, ISSN 1099-0992. Retrieved 2013-05-16.
  4. ^ Thomas E. Ford (2000-11-01). Effects of Sexist Humor on Tolerance of Sexist Events. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 26 (9): 1094-1107. doi:10.1177/01461672002611006, ISSN 0146-1672, 1552-7433. Retrieved 2013-05-16.
  5. ^ Christie F. Boxer, Jacob Armstrong, Jessica R. Edel, Thomas E. Ford (2008-02-01). More Than “Just a Joke”: The Prejudice-Releasing Function of Sexist Humor. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 34 (2): 159-170. doi:10.1177/0146167207310022, ISSN 0146-1672, 1552-7433. Retrieved 2013-05-16.
  6. ^ Allison Louise Skinner, Gandalf Nicolas (2012). “That's So Gay!” Priming the General Negative Usage of the Word Gay Increases Implicit Anti-Gay Bias. The Journal of Social Psychology 152 (5): 654-658. doi:10.1080/00224545.2012.661803, ISSN 0022-4545. Retrieved 2013-05-17.
  7. ^ Anne Maass, Andrea Carnaghi (2007-06-01). In-Group and Out-Group Perspectives in the Use of Derogatory Group Labels Gay Versus Fag. Journal of Language and Social Psychology 26 (2): 142-156. doi:10.1177/0261927X07300077, ISSN 0261-927X, 1552-6526. Retrieved 2013-05-16.
  8. ^ Brian P. Brown, Michael A. Collins, Karen E. Dill (2008-09). Effects of exposure to sex-stereotyped video game characters on tolerance of sexual harassment. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 44 (5): 1402-1408. doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2008.06.002, ISSN 0022-1031. Retrieved 2013-05-17.
  9. ^ Mercedes Durán, Hugo Carretero-Dios, Jesús L. Megías, Miguel Moya, Mónica Romero-Sánchez (2010-12-01). Exposure to Sexist Humor and Rape Proclivity: The Moderator Effect of Aversiveness Ratings. Journal of Interpersonal Violence 25 (12): 2339-2350. doi:10.1177/0886260509354884, ISSN 0886-2605, 1552-6518. Retrieved 2013-05-16.
  10. ^ Manuela Thomae, Amy Cullen, Hannah Fernandez, G. Tendayi Viki (2007-12-16). The Effect of Sexist Humor and Type of Rape on Men's Self-Reported Rape Proclivity and Victim Blame. Current Research in Social Psychology 13 (10): 11.
  11. ^ Mark A. Ferguson, Thomas E. Ford (2004-02-01). Social Consequences of Disparagement Humor: A Prejudiced Norm Theory. Personality and Social Psychology Review 8 (1): 79-94. doi:10.1207/S15327957PSPR0801_4, ISSN 1088-8683, 1532-7957. Retrieved 2013-05-16.
  12. ^ Michael L. Howell, Alex Kulick, Perry Silverschanz, Michael R. Woodford (2013-01-01). “That’s so Gay” Heterosexual Male Undergraduates and the Perpetuation of Sexual Orientation Microagressions on Campus. Journal of Interpersonal Violence 28 (2): 416-435. doi:10.1177/0886260512454719, ISSN 0886-2605, 1552-6518. Retrieved 2013-05-17.
  13. ^ Elizabeth Levy Paluck (2011-03). Peer pressure against prejudice: A high school field experiment examining social network change. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 47 (2): 350-358. doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2010.11.017, ISSN 0022-1031. Retrieved 2013-05-18.

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