TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2011//
TI  - Beastly: What Makes Animal Metaphors Offensive?
JO  - Journal of language and social psychology
A1  - Haslam, Nick
A1  - Loughnan, Steve
A1  - Sun, Pamela
SP  - 311
EP  - 325
VL  - 30
IS  - 3
N2  - Animal metaphors convey a wide range of meanings, from insulting slurs to expressions of love. Two studies examined factors contributing to the offensiveness of these metaphors. Study 1 examined 40 common metaphors, finding that their meanings were diverse but centered on depravity, disagreeableness, and stupidity. Their offensiveness was predicted by the revulsion felt toward the animal and by the dehumanizing view of the target that it implied. Study 2 examined contextual factors in metaphor use, finding that the offensiveness of animal metaphors varies with the tone of their expression and the gender and in-group/out-group status of their targets. These variations influence offensiveness by altering the extent to which the target is ascribed animalistic properties.<p /> 
LA  - 
SN  - 0261-927X
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0261927X11407168
ID  - ref1
ER  -