Language, Emotion, and Personality: How the Words We Use Reflect Who We Are

The smallest words – pronouns, articles, prepositions, and other function words – account for over 55% of the words we use although they make up less than 0.1% of our vocabulary. Sadly, most function words are completely ignored by most people and search engines. In fact, these almost-invisible words have tremendous psychological significance. A large number of studies are summarized that explore how and why function words are related to emotional state, personality, status, honesty, group dynamics, and social relationships. Implications for identifying intelligence, author identity, and the meaning of life are discussed.

Speaker Details

Jamie Pennebaker is the Regents Centennial Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. He’s a social psychologist who studies how natural language reflects people’s social and psychological states. Using his LIWC computer program, he explores the links between function words (or, as we call them, stop words) and personality, intelligence and thinking styles, social relationships, status, power, deception, and other emotion-related behaviors. He is among the most cited social scientists in the world and has been continuously funded by NSF, NIH, or other federal agencies for over 30 years. His most recent language-related book is The Secret Life of Pronouns: What Our Words Say About Us (NY: Bloomsbury). This is his second stint as a visiting researcher in adaptive systems.

Series:
Microsoft Research Talks
Date:
Speakers:
James Pennebaker
Affiliation:
University of Texas at Austin

Series: Microsoft Research Talks