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

Опубликовано 27 июня 2016, 22:24

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.