Linguistic Inference Framing: A Linguistic Category Approach to Framing Crisis

ABSTRACT

This study proposes Linguistic Inference Framing, a linguistic category approach to framing, which can be used to understand the effects of implicit inference language frames on audience perceptions. Study 1, a 2 (language inference frame: low vs. high) x 2 (replication) experiment, demonstrated that high inference language frame leads to higher attribution perceptions in a corporate crisis. Study 2, a 2 (language inference frame: low vs. high) x 3 (social identity: out-group vs. in-group vs. control) experiment in a political crisis, found main effects of high inference (vs. low) language frame and of social identity on higher attribution, future crisis occurrence and unethical perceptions.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/15205436.2023.2197884.

Notes

¹ The data and experiment stimuli were posted in an online repository OSF (Link: https://osf.io/vxerb/?view_only=4fc56153ea8c4d7da639863758b77db8).

² The medium effect sizes were selected due to generally small to medium effect sizes (ranging from 0.25 to 0.35) produced by previous Linguistic Category Model research using between-subject experimental designs (Bilewicz et al., 2017; Borden & Zhang, 2019; Gorham, 2006).

³ Actual effect size for study 2 was f = .21.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Xiaochen Zhang

Xiaochen Angela Zhang (Ph.D., University of Florida) is an assistant professor in public relations in the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma. Her research focuses on crisis and risk communication, digital media strategic communication and ethics.

Jonathan Borden

Jonathan Borden (Ph.D., Syracuse University) received his Ph.D. from S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. His research focuses on attribution theory, social identity, and consumer psychology.