Looking for a Put-Down? Nouns Beat Phrases

Oct. 21, 2005 -- Is an "evildoer" more evil than "someone who does evil things?" New research suggests nouns may have a stronger impact on our views than other types of descriptions.

Vanderbilt University psychologist Jessica Giles, PhD, found both adults and children are more likely to have a negative, fixed view of a person described with a noun label, such as "murderer," than a person described as "someone who commits murder." Giles presented her findings at a meeting of the Cognitive Development Society.

"Noun labels have a powerful influence on our thoughts and beliefs about others," Giles says, in a news release. "We learn at a very early age that nouns are used to describe something's fundamental character. As a result, when we hear a person being described with a noun -- murderer, sex offender, criminal -- we tend to automatically infer that that person cannot and will not change."

Attitudes Towards Violence

Giles reached her conclusions after conducting several studies on the impact of noun labels. In one, a group of preschoolers heard a character described as an evildoer, while a second group heard the character described as someone "who does evil things whenever he can." Children in the first group were more likely to believe the character would remain evil over time.

In another study, 90 adults took surveys about their attitudes toward violence and criminal rehabilitation. One version of the survey used the word "murderer," while another version read "people who commit murder." Giles found that participants who received the first version were more likely to respond that criminals are inherently violent and will not change. They were also less likely to view rehabilitation as effective.

Giles says her findings could have strong implications for the courtroom. "In the criminal justice system, potential jurors who repeatedly hear a defendant being called a 'strangler' in the press might be more likely to support a death sentence for that defendant."