Graphic novels through the lens of Goodreads reviews: Artistic, textual, or blend of both?

2021 ◽  
pp. 096100062110338
Author(s):  
Lala Hajibayova ◽  
Mallory McCorkhill
Keyword(s):  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Graphic Novels ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Social Orientation ◽  
Function Words ◽  
Reading Experience ◽  
Auxiliary Verbs ◽  
Reading Choices ◽  
Visual Characteristics ◽  
Machine Analysis

In this study, a textual analysis of the linguistic characteristics of Goodreads user-generated reviews associated with popular graphic novels revealed reviewers’ rich evaluations of both textual and visual characteristics of the novels as well as the embodied orientation of the reviewers’ narrations, wherein positive emotions associated with the reading experience dominated. Overall, the blend of users’ unique perceptions of textual and visual characteristics of graphic novels contributes to the genre’s vivid representation and discoverability. The machine analysis of user-generated reviews revealed a high rate of function words, pronouns, and auxiliary verbs, which may suggest reviewers’ social orientation. This high rate of function words and the overall positive tone of the reviews may also be interpreted as reviewers’ attempts to promote their reviews and influence others’ reading choices.

Investigation of Goodreads’ reviews: Kakutanied, deceived or simply honest?

2019 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 612-626 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lala Hajibayova
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Production ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Function Words ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cultural Objects ◽  
Emotion Words ◽  
Reading Choices ◽  
Shed Light ◽  
Traditional Representation

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present an analysis of Goodreads’ user-generated book reviews from a linguistic perspective for insights into the psychological aspects of reviewers’ perceptions and behaviors. This examination of users’ language and perspectives may shed light on the role and value of user-generated reviews in complementing the traditional representation of resources and facilitating the discoverability of cultural objects. Design/methodology/approach This study involved a textual analysis of 474,803 unique reviews of Goodreads’ 2015 top-rated books generated by 9,335 Goodreads’ reviewers. In order to better understand the nuances of user-generated reviews, a content analysis was applied to 2,500 reviews of each of the five top-ranked titles in Goodreads’ Fiction Literature genre category. Findings The analysis of user-generated reviews demonstrates that language is a quite stable and reliable dimension across Goodreads’ users. The high rate of function words utilized, in particular I-words, coupled with positive emotion words, suggests that reviewers tended to convey their opinions in order to influence other individuals’ reading choices, or in Bourdieu’s (1985) terms, influence cultural production. In line with previous studies of user-generated reviews, the prevalence of positive reviews may also imply their unreliable nature. This study supports the importance of transparency regarding inclusion of user-generated reviews in traditional systems of knowledge representation, organization and discovery, such as WorldCat. Originality/value This study contributes to better understanding of linguistic characteristics of Goodreads’ reviews, including the role and value of user-generated reviews in complementing traditional representation of resources and facilitating discoverability of cultural objects.

Sharing One's Story: On the Benefits of Writing or Talking About Emotional Experience

2009 ◽  
pp. 620-632 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate G. Niederhoffer ◽  
James W. Pennebaker
Keyword(s):  
Text Analysis ◽  
Emotional Experience ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Emotional Valence ◽  
Social Orientation ◽  
Function Words ◽  
Writing Paradigm ◽  
Emotional Events ◽  
Historical Antecedents ◽  
Computerized Text Analysis

Over two decades of research devoted to the writing paradigm has resulted in substantial findings that translating emotional events into words leads to profound social, psychological, and neural changes. How and why would constructing stories about important personal events be so beneficial? The chapter describes the writing paradigm used in this research, offering an overview of the research findings and examination of its historical antecedents. While the precise mechanisms through which a narrative heals are still unrealized, we review three underlying processes that might explain its power: emotional inhibition, cognitive processes, and linguistic processes that echo changes in social orientation. Most recently, advances in computerized text analysis, in addition to the rapid development of the Internet, have afforded a new lens on the psychological transformations achieved through the writing paradigm. Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) is one such computerized text analysis program that captures style and content words. Originally created to better understand the language of emotional upheaval and recovery, with a focus on content and emotional valence, more recent research has focused on subtle stylistic differences in function words such as pronouns, articles, and prepositions. These “junk words” have proven to be reliable markers of demographics, biological activity, depression, life stressors, deception, and status. The chapter briefly reviews recent LIWC-based research regarding the often-overlooked stylistic components of sharing one's story.

scholarly journals Phonological Words and Stuttering on Function Words

1998 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 1019-1030 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Au-Yeung ◽  
Peter Howell ◽  
Lesley Pilgrim
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Content Word ◽  
Initial Position ◽  
Function Word ◽  
Function Words ◽  
Auxiliary Verbs ◽  
Phonological Word ◽  
The People

Stuttering on function words was examined in 51 people who stutter. The people who stutter were subdivided into young (2 to 6 years), middle (6 to 9 years), and older (9 to 12 years) child groups; teenagers (13 to 18 years); and adults (20 to 40 years). As reported by previous researchers, children up to about age 9 stuttered more on function words (pronouns, articles, prepositions, conjunctions, auxiliary verbs), whereas older people tended to stutter more on content words (nouns, main verbs, adverbs, adjectives). Function words in early positions in utterances, again as reported elsewhere, were more likely to be stuttered than function words at later positions in an utterance. This was most apparent for the younger groups of speakers. For the remaining analyses, utterances were segmented into phonological words on the basis of Selkirk’s work (1984). Stuttering rate was higher when function words occurred in early phonological word positions than other phonological word positions whether the phonological word appeared in initial position in an utterance or not. Stuttering rate was highly dependent on whether the function word occurred before or after the single content word allowed in Selkirk’s (1984) phonological words. This applied, once again, whether the phonological word was utterance-initial or not. It is argued that stuttering of function words before their content word in phonological words in young speakers is used as a delaying tactic when the forthcoming content word is not prepared for articulation.

Effects of reading skill on component spelling skills

1990 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 425-437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maggie Bruck ◽  
Gloria Waters
Keyword(s):  
Visual Information ◽  
Sixth Grade ◽  
Reading Skill ◽  
Poor Readers ◽  
Good Readers ◽  
Reading Experience ◽  
Visual Characteristics ◽  
Poor Spellers ◽  
Better Than

ABSTRACTThis study examined the influence of reading experience on the development of component spelling skills. Three groups of sixth-grade children were identified – good readers-good spellers (Good), good readers-poor spellers (Mixed), and poor readers-poor spellers (Poor). The children completed three different spelling tasks that assessed component spelling skills involving the use and knowledge of sound-spelling, orthographic, morphological, and visual information. Good subjects performed consistently better than Mixed and Poor subjects. Mixed and Poor subjects did not differ on measures requiring use and knowledge of sound-spelling, orthographic, and visual information. Mixed subjects performed better than Poor subjects on measures assessing use and knowledge of morphological information. It is suggested that, as a result of their greater experience with print, Mixed subjects have better knowledge of some of the linguistic, but not the visual, characteristics of words.

Newly admitted nursing students’ viewpoints of training and the nursing profession

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Lundell Rudberg ◽  
Margareta Westerbotn ◽  
Max Scheja ◽  
Hanna Lachmann
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Students ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Role Model ◽  
Social Orientation ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Professional Nurses

Abstract Background: Students’ reasons for choosing nursing and their expectations of education and future career might have an impact on how they manage their studies. During upcoming training, the students need to acquire certain skills and competencies to become professional nurses able to handle complex situations. Therefore, it is of interest to understand students’ perceptions of upcoming education and their ideas about future occupation. This study aimed to investigate newly admitted nursing students’ viewpoints about training to become a professional nurse.Methods: A descriptive cohort study was designed using interviews and questionnaires undertaken at one university in Stockholm, Sweden August 2015 to June 2017. All students starting the program were invited to participate. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected by using individual interviews (n=126) and questionnaires (n=158). Content analysis of the transcribed interviews was used to identify a theme. Sample percentages, mean score and standard deviation were calculated for data from questionnaires using descriptive statistics.Results: Seven main categories were identified, 1. Nursing as role model, 2. Self-confidence in a new environment, 3. Develop nursing attitudes and skills, 4. Opportunities to impact the future, 5. Stimulating hands-on teamwork, 6. Don´t manage the task, 7. Surrounding factors prohibiting success. Additionally, students generally rated higher for positive emotions, and lower for negative on a 7 graded Likert scale. The finding indicated that the newly admitted nursing students in general had a strong intrinsic social orientation to learning.Conclusion: As findings suggests, students put faith in their own ability and want to make a difference by altruistic reasons when entering the training. It is essential for educators to gain a deeper understanding of the visions of newly admitted students to nurture and empower their enthusiasm during training.

Book Reading Choices of University Students in Jordan

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Celine Kamhieh
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Arab World ◽  
Private University ◽  
Book Reading ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Reading Experience ◽  
Book Choice ◽  
Digital Books ◽  
Reading Choices ◽  
Third Person

It is widely believed that today’s university students are so enamoured of social media and other online attractions that book reading is no longer included in their leisure-time activities, particularly in the Arab world where smartphone penetration is high and interest in reading is perceived to be low. As teachers, we have an obligation to ensure our students are reading books of their own choosing. This study investigates the book-reading choices of a convenience sample of 100 male and female students attending a private university in Jordan to determine 1) what those choices are, 2) what patterns we can detect among their choices and 3) what language and format they prefer to read in. Results show that students look West for most of their book choices, at the expense of their own literature and authors, that their gendered choices reflect many of the patterns already established in the literature, that they prefer to read printed rather than digital books and that third-person narrator voice is most commonly used in the novels they read. The study also suggests that book choice may have less to do with book-based appeal factors (such as, author, protagonist, etc.,) and more to do with the overall reading experience, and that the narrator voice used in the novels students read can contribute to the richness and overall value of that reading experience.

Language Style Matching : A Comprehensive List of Articles and Tools

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Shaw ◽  
Paul Taylor ◽  
Stacey Conchie ◽  
David Alexander Ellis
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Factors ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Function Words ◽  
Comprehensive List ◽  
Auxiliary Verbs ◽  
Language Style ◽  
Language Style Matching ◽  
The Way

Language style matching (LSM) is a technique in behavioural analytics which assess the stylistic similarities in language use across groups and individuals. The procedure targets the similarity of functions words, analysing the way people use language rather than the content. Function words consist of pronouns, articles, conjunctions, prepositions, auxiliary verbs e.t.c. which have a syntactical role in language. To assess the similarity of language use between interlocutors, the percentage of function words used can be compared within and across conversations using a metric designed to calculate the matching of specific word categories and overall LSM (Ireland et al., 2011) . It is also possible to assess language style matching to a group’s aggregate style. High language style matching is an indicator of interpersonal and group mimicry and has been shown to influence psychological factors and behavioural outcomes. These are listed in this preprint and categorised by topic. The list aims to be a complete summary of the existing literature to date exploring LSM. Therefore, please email the author if there are any projects and tools not listed below.

Engaging Employees Through a Virtuous Environment! Does Positive Affect Mediate in the Relationship?

2021 ◽  
pp. 152342232110576
Author(s):  
Himani Sharma ◽  
Richa Goyal
Keyword(s):  
Positive Affect ◽  
Human Resource Development ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Resource Development ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Management Support ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Overall Functioning

The Problem The high rate of disengagement among the workforce affects the overall functioning of the organizations as disengaged employees are not only dissatisfied but can also spread negativity among their fellows. Therefore, there is an emerging need to ascertain how organizations can contribute in reducing such disengagement. The Solution Findings from this study suggests that an organizational environment of respect, trust, forgiveness, and care and concern can solve the problem of disengagement. Such an environment requires management support in creating a culture that recognizes the role of empathy in boosting positive emotions and reducing employees’ negativity. The Stakeholders Human resource development practitioners, researchers, scholars, managers, and others who are interested in pursuing research in this area.

Faster than Books and More Involved than Movies: Understanding the Contemporary Reading Experience of Young Adult Readers of Graphic Novels and Comic Books

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucia Cedeira Serantes
Keyword(s):  
Young Adult ◽  
Comic Books ◽  
Graphic Novels ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Adult Readers ◽  
Jeunes Adultes ◽  
Reading Experience ◽  
Mise En Œuvre

This project looks at the reading experience of young adult readers of comic books and graphic novels. A phenomelogical standpoint implemented through semi-structured interviews allows for the exploration of the readers’ perception of the comics medium, their understanding of the reading experience, and the role of bookstores and libraries in their reading practices.Ce projet explore l’expérience de lecture de comic books et de romans graphiques des jeunes adultes. Une approche phénoménologique a été mise en œuvre au moyen d’entrevues semi-structurées pour découvrir les perceptions qu’ont les lecteurs des comic books, leur compréhension de l’expérience de lecture et le rôle des librairies et des bibliothèques sur leur pratique de lecture. 

scholarly journals Developing interlanguage: Driving forces in children learning Dutch and German

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 365-392
Author(s):  
Peter Jordens ◽  
Dagmar Bittner
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Argument Structure ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Function Words ◽  
Auxiliary Verbs ◽  
Developmental Progress ◽  
Linguistic System ◽  
Formal Properties

Abstract Spontaneous language learning both in children learning their mother tongue and in adults learning a second language shows that language development proceeds in a stage-wise manner. Given that a developmental stage is defined as a coherent linguistic system, utterances of language learners can be accounted for in terms of what (Selinker, Larry. 1972. Interlanguage. International Review of Applied Linguistics 10. 209–231) referred to with the term Interlanguage. This paper is a study on the early interlanguage systems of children learning Dutch and German as their mother tongue. The present child learner systems, so it is claimed, are coherent lexical systems based on types of verb-argument structure that are either agentive (as in Dutch: kannie bal pakke ‘cannot ball get’, or German: mag nich nase putzen ‘like not nose clean’) or non-agentive (as in Dutch: popje valt bijna ‘doll falls nearly’, or in German: ente fällt ‘duck falls’). At this lexical stage, functional morphology (e. g. morphological finiteness, tense), function words (e. g. auxiliary verbs, determiners) and word order variation are absent. For these typically developing children, both in Dutch and in German, it is claimed that developmental progress is driven by the acquisition of the formal properties of topicalization. It is, furthermore, argued that this feature seems to serve as the driving force in the instantiation of the functional, i. e. informational linguistic properties of the target-language system.

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