Harm inflation: Making sense of concept creep

IF 10.1 2区心理学 Q1 PSYCHOLOGY, SOCIAL

European Review of Social Psychology Pub Date : 2020-01-01 DOI:10.1080/10463283.2020.1796080

N. Haslam, Brodie C. Dakin, Fabian Fabiano, Melanie J. McGrath, J. Rhee, Ekaterina Vylomova, Morgan Weaving, Melissa A. Wheeler

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引用次数: 29

Abstract

ABSTRACT “Concept creep” is the gradual semantic expansion of harm-related concepts such as bullying, mental disorder, prejudice, and trauma. This review presents a synopsis of relevant theoretical advances and empirical research findings on the phenomenon. It addresses three fundamental questions. First, it clarifies the characterisation of concept creep by refining its theoretical and historical dimensions and presenting studies investigating the change in harm-related concepts using computational linguistics. Second, it examines factors that have caused concept creep, including cultural shifts in sensitivity to harm, societal changes in the prevalence of harm, and intentional meaning changes engineered for political ends. Third, the paper develops an account of the consequences of concept creep, including social conflict, political polarisation, speech restrictions, victim identities, and progressive social change. This extended analysis of concept creep helps to understand its mixed implications and sets a multi-pronged agenda for future research on the topic.

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损害通货膨胀:让概念蔓延变得有意义

“概念蠕变”是欺凌、精神障碍、偏见和创伤等伤害相关概念在语义上的逐渐扩展。本文综述了这一现象的相关理论进展和实证研究成果。它解决了三个基本问题。首先，它通过细化其理论和历史维度来澄清概念蠕变的特征，并提出了使用计算语言学调查危害相关概念变化的研究。其次，它研究了导致概念蠕变的因素，包括对伤害敏感的文化转变，伤害流行的社会变化，以及为政治目的而设计的有意意义变化。第三，本文阐述了概念蔓延的后果，包括社会冲突、政治两极分化、言论限制、受害者身份和渐进的社会变革。这种对概念蠕变的扩展分析有助于理解其混合含义，并为该主题的未来研究设定了多管齐下的议程。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

European Review of Social Psychology PSYCHOLOGY, SOCIAL-

CiteScore

15.30

自引率

2.80%

发文量

期刊介绍： The "European Review of Social Psychology (ERSP)" is a distinguished international journal that operates under the patronage of the European Association of Social Psychology. It serves as a platform for comprehensive, theory-driven reviews that cover the broad spectrum of social psychology. The journal is open to submissions from authors worldwide and is guided by a prestigious international editorial board. ERSP is particularly interested in publishing reviews that reflect the author's own research program, as demonstrated by their publications in leading peer-reviewed journals. The journal values theoretical contributions that are grounded in a substantial empirical foundation, situating the research within the broader context of existing literature and offering a synthesis that goes beyond the individual articles. In addition to these in-depth reviews, ERSP also welcomes conventional reviews and meta-analyses, further enriching the journal's offerings. By focusing on high-quality, evidence-based research, ERSP contributes significantly to the advancement of knowledge in social psychology and fosters a deeper understanding of human social behavior across cultures and societies.