Messages & meaning: word choice

Question 1

2 main computer tools for analysing adverts> (2)

Answer 1

• semantic differential scales (grouping & rating words in a text)
• corpus techniques

Question 2

how can the computer assisted analysis help us understand the lang of advertising> (2)

Answer 2

-1> SDS–>groups & rates words in a text
-2>SSA–>used to look at words & how many (%) are positive, negative and neutral in corpuses –>to look at ‘polarity’ of advertisements

Question 3

what are semantic differential scales>

Answer 3

rating words on a scale according to different semantic features

Question 4

osgood’s semantic differential scales> rates words on a scale of: (3)

Answer 4

• valency (i.e. + or - evaluation)
• dominance (i.e. potency)
• arousal (i.e. activity)

Question 5

osgood’s semantic differential scales> from what to what (nos)> (3)

Answer 5

0-8
>0 as furthest left
>8 as furthest right

Question 6

semantic prosody=

Answer 6

looking at how a word is used in a language & associations it develops as result

Question 7

positive semantic prosody=

Answer 7

when word found to be used in mostly positive context, it sorts of “rubs off” on the word–>so when word in isolation now has positive connotations with–>thus develops on positive connoations

Question 8

2 types of ‘meaning’ (Leech)>

Answer 8

1>conceptual or denotative meaning (dictionary)
2>associative meaning

Question 9

Leech (1981)- types of associative meaning> (5)

Answer 9

-connotative
-social
-affective
-collocative
-reflected

Question 10

Leech (1981)- types of associative meaning> connotative>

Answer 10

network of concepts, word association

Question 11

Leech (1981)- types of associative meaning> social>

Answer 11

what this tells us about the speaker or writer’s social identities (e.g. gender, age, nationality, occupation, relationships)

Question 12

Leech (1981)- types of associative meaning> affective> (3)

Answer 12

emotional charged, feelings & attitudes

Question 13

Leech (1981)- types of associative meaning> collocative>

Answer 13

associations with words which tend to occur with it

Question 14

Leech (1981)- types of associative meaning> reflected>

Answer 14

when a particular sense of the word becomes dominant even when its used in other contexts (e.g. double entendre, sexual innuendo)

Question 15

adverts & vagueness> (3)

Answer 15

• adverts use a lot of vague, positive adjectives “beautiful, premium, stunning”
• advertising regulation allows for strong claims if HEDGED with modifiers (i.e. “probably”)
  -superlatives like “best” may be interpreted as subjective in some contexts, but obj in others

Question 16

Adverts & precision> (2)

Answer 16

-adverts use a lot of precise numbers (e.g. ‘this kills 99% of germs’)
-can be loopholed (‘loved by 9/10 cat owners’>when only 1 brand explored in 1 country)

Question 17

ads & positive & negative language> (2)

Answer 17

• ads as normally using positive lang
• sometimes use NEGATIVE words to make us think harder (e.g. “i hate lucosade because it makes me get back to school”)

Question 18

types of ambiguity & puns (in ads)> (2)

Answer 18

• Meaning based puns= plays on different MEANINGS of words (“find yourself at river island”)
• Grammatical puns= playing on fact that a word can be used as different parts of speech (e.g N & V) (“nuts about nuts”)

Question 19

metaphor=

Answer 19

talking & potentially thinking about one things in terms of another

Question 20

metaphor>source domain>

Answer 20

the concept from which the metaphor is drawn, typically more CONCRETE
>(e.g. ‘JOURNEY’ in LIAJ)

Question 21

metaphor>target domain>

Answer 21

the concept to which the metaphor is applied, typically more ABSTRACT
>(e.g. ‘LIFE’ in LIAJ)

Question 22

nuances of metaphor & source/target domain in advertising>

Answer 22

> concrete vs abstract doesnt always hold true with advertising (often concrete & concrete)
(i.e. “the cream of manchester”>SD=Cream & TD=bodingtons beer)

Question 23

4 forms of visual metaphors in advertising> (F,1996)

Answer 23

1>pictorial metaphors with ONE pictorially present term
2> pictorial metaphors with TWO pictorially present terms
3> pictorial similes
4> Verbo-pictorial metaphors

Question 24

4 forms of visual metaphors in advertising> (F,1996) (LONGER)

Answer 24

1>pictorial metaphors with ONE pictorally present term (MP1)–>usually= target domain
2> pictorial metaphors with TWO pictorially present terms (MP2)–>source & target domain are MERGED
3> pictorial similes (MP2)–>2 pictroally present terms but source & target domain are SEPARATE
4> verbo-pictorial metaphors (VPM)–> one domain is represented linguistically, the other visually

Question 25

4 forms of visual metaphors in advertising (F,1996)– 1>Pictorial metaphors with ONE pictorially present term

Answer 25

pictorially present term usually= target domain (the advertised product)

Question 26

4 forms of visual metaphors in advertising (F,1996)– 2>Pictorial metaphors with TWO pictorially present terms

Answer 26

Source & target domain are MERGED

Question 27

4 forms of visual metaphors in advertising (F,1996)– 1>Pictorial similies

Answer 27

=2 pictorially present terms, but source & target domain are SEPARATE

Question 28

4 forms of visual metaphors in advertising (F,1996)– 1>Verbo-Pictorial metaphors

Answer 28

=one domain is represented linguistically, the other visually

Question 29

concs on M,M & word choice> (3)

Answer 29

• words can carry connotative, social, affective, collocative & reflected meaning in addition to their literal or conceptual meaning
• advertisers can selectively choose words to convey valency, dominance or arousal
• advertisers can often play with vagueness, precision, negativity, puns and metaphors