Bias, Diction, Context, Denotation, & Connotation Notes

If we were going on a trip, denotation would be the . . .

Traveler.

An example of technical diction is . . .

"Although [experimental-analog functional analysis] is one of the most widely used technologies in the field of behavior analysis, the design presents users with a number of procedural and psychometric problems (Sturmey, 1995). Experimental functional analyses are extremely time consuming and are not cost-effective. The technology uses multi-element designs in which several experimental conditions alternate rapidly" (Matson, Bamburd, Cherry, & Paclawskyj, 1999).

An example of figurative diction is . . .

"Apparently, people find it impossible to take things seriously even when the times demand it. The offenders aren't just clout-grasping influencers and social media obsessives. Public officials have rashly entered the chat: Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Tex.) wants Russians kicked off the International Space Station. A former JAG and two-time Democratic congressional candidate advocates dropping bombs on Putin in a preemptive strike. Armchair warriors in the media have joined the fray, hypothesizing no-fly zones and weaponry outfits as if the Russian invasion of Ukraine were a live-streamed game of Risk" (Emba, 2022).

An example of informal diction is . . .

"Do we 100% believe there are things Greene doesn't know about? God yes. The list of things she's ignorant of could fill a book called Gazpacho vs. Gestapo: My Life as an Idiot. What we don't believe for a second is that her staff and other handlers were unaware of exactly who Fuentes is. But just for yuks, let's pretend no one on Team MTG had any idea the congresswoman was signing up to speak at an event put on by such a thoroughly despicable human being, and she went up there thinking he was a swell guy" (Levin 2022).

An example of concrete diction is . . .

"Facing the window, in the chair of dignity, sat a man about forty years of age; of heavy frame, large features and a commanding voice; his general build being rather coarse and compact... When he indulged in an occasional loud laugh at some remark among the guests his mouth parted so far back as to show the rays of the chandelier a full score or more of the two-and-thirty sound white teeth that he obviously still could boast of" (Hardy, 1902).

An example of formal diction is . . .

"Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on Saturday defended her decision to speak at an event organized by alt-right figure Nick Fuentes, claiming she didn't know anything about him or his views when she decided to speak there on Friday. The GOP lawmaker on Friday night made a surprise appearance at a far-right conference organized by Nick Fuentes, who is known for statements questioning the existence of the Holocaust, criticizing interracial marriage, and praising Jim Crow-era segregation" (Perrett, 2022).

An example of literal (and concrete) diction is . . .

"They managed to pack their most important possessions into a small red suitcase — it now weighs about 10 kilograms (22 pounds) — and they dragged it for about an hour and a half, walking from the Ukrainian border post to the town of Giurgiulesti, in Moldova. The town sits at the juncture of the three borders. It's only 2 degrees Celsius (35.6 Fahrenheit) outside and a strong wind is blowing. The elderly couple's faces are red from the cold, they're both freezing. They're exhausted from the long walk" (Fati, 2022).

An example of common diction is . . .

"To understand how COVID-19 vaccines work, it helps to first look at how our bodies fight illness. When germs, such as the virus that causes COVID-19, invade our bodies, they attack and multiply. This invasion, called an infection, is what causes illness. Our immune system uses several tools to fight infection. Blood contains red cells, which carry oxygen to tissues and organs, and white or immune cells, which fight infection" (Understanding how Covid-19 vaccines work, 2022).

An example of abstract diction is . . .

"Vulnerability is basically uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure. I was raised in a "get 'er done" and "suck it up" family and culture (very Texan, German-American). The tenacity and grit part of that upbringing has served me, but I wasn't taught how to deal with uncertainty or how to manage emotional risk. I spent a lot of years trying to outrun or outsmart vulnerability by making things certain and definite, black and white, good and bad. My inability to lean into the discomfort of vulnerability limited the fullness of those important experiences that are wrought with uncertainty: Love, belonging, trust, joy, and creativity to name a few. Learning how to be vulnerable has been a street fight for me, but it's been worth it" (Schwabel, 2013).

Bias is simply . . .

A part of writing nonfiction.

Bias is an inclination towards . . .

A particular judgement on a topic or issue.

The word "cheap" has a negative connotation and is commonly understood to refer to . . .

A person who does not like to spend money.

The word "thrifty" contains a positive connotation and is commonly understood to refer to . . .

A person who is careful with money.

Diction is . . .

A writer or speaker's choice of words and way of arranging words in sentences.

Selecting media stories based on what will please advertisers is known as . . .

Advertising bias.

Diction would be represented by the traveler because the traveler will . . .

Always be the same, no matter where they go.

Connotation is . . .

Anything we understand about the word beyond its literal meaning.

Denotation establishes our . . .

Baseline understanding of a word's meaning.

Concision bias means . . .

Carefully selecting catchy headlines and opting for shorter stories that can be consumed faster than lengthier, more detailed pieces.

As a result of unconscious bias, . . .

Certain people benefit and other people are penalized.

CBN News (a Christian news outlet) claimed on June 30, 2017 that the mainstream media demonstrated glaring bias during LGBTQ Pride Month when they . . .

Cited five media outlets with news and information sections highlighting LGBTQ life and culture.

Remember, we're NOT . . .

Classifying types of diction as "better" or "worse" than others.

You would call someone "thrifty" to . . .

Complement their financial management skills.

When a media outlet reports views that can be summed up in a few words rather than those which require lengthier explanations, this is known as . . .

Concision bias.

The various social overtones, cultural implications, or emotional meanings associated with a word is known as . . .

Connotation.

"Brutus is a snake in Julius Caesar's circle of friends."

Connotation: a treacherous or deceitful person

Depending on the context, words can take on . . .

Connotative meanings that are different from their denotations.

Picking stories that are pleasing to the owners of a media organization or network is known as . . .

Corporate bias.

Different words with different connotations of the word "handicapped" include . . .

Crippled, disabled, and differently abled.

The literal, dictionary definition of the word is known as . . .

Denotation.

"Be careful hiking during the day; snakes may be out looking for water."

Denotation: a long limbless reptile that has no eyelids, a short tail, and jaws that are capable of considerable extension and venomous bite

Different words with different connotations of the word "drug addict" include . . .

Druggie, drug fiend, and substance abuser.

If we only wrote using denotative meaning, all writing would be . . .

Dull, colorless, and very straightforward.

In the illustration of the blind people and the elephant, . . .

Each blind person is limited by their context to only a specific part of the elephant, which warps their interpretation of the elephant's true identity.

In the illustration of the blind people and the elephant, context matters because . . .

Each person was perceiving the elephant out of context of the whole creature, so they all completely misinterpreted it.

We have to consider the context of information we read and hear because, without the context, the information is . . .

Easy to misunderstand or misinterpret.

Therefore, we should NOT aim to only read sources with as little bias as possible. It's better to . . .

Equip ourselves to identify and analyze bias so that we can get as close to the truth as possible.

Polite and proper, longer descriptive words and phrases, lack of slang or colloquialisms, and following grammar can indicate . . .

Formal diction.

It's unlikely that you'll ever read a nonfiction piece (outside of a dictionary or published encyclopedia) that . . .

Has no bias.

Different words with different connotations of the word "house" include . . .

Home, abode, domicile, and residence.

Note that neither denotation nor connotation is better than the other. In fact, they are both . . .

Important aspects of understanding the meaning of diction.

Bias is prejudice . . .

In favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair.

"The blueberry is very blue."

In this sentence, we understand the meaning of the word "blue" by its denotative meaning, which is the color blue.

"Suzie is feeling very blue."

In this sentence, we understand the meaning of the word blue by its connotative meaning, which indicates that Suzie is feeling sad.

An assumption that the audience already knows what you're talking about, shorter words, and lack of proper grammar can indicate . . .

Informal diction.

Different words with different connotations of the word "reporter" include . . .

Journalist, broadcaster, and newshound.

Formal diction refers to . . .

Language appropriate for formal or official occasions.

Imagery is . . .

Language that evokes the 5 senses.

If we were going on a trip, connotation would be the . . .

Luggage.

Reporting the same thing everyone else is reporting -and avoiding offensive stories- so readers and viewers don't turn away is known as . . .

Mainstream bias.

Sensationalism can . . .

Make extraordinary events seem more common than they really are.

Though we all have biases, many unconscious biases tend to be exhibited toward . . .

Marginalized groups based on facts such as class, gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, nationality, religious beliefs, age, disability, and more.

If someone is biased toward same-sex couples, they . . .

Might choose to rent their home to them over an equally-qualified heterosexual couple.

If someone is biased against same-sex couples, they . . .

Might discriminate against them by refusing to rent to them, even if they're completely qualified and have no competition from others.

If an employer is biased against women, they . . .

Might hire a man over a more-qualified female candidate because they feel that men make better engineers than women.

If an employer is biased in favor of women, they . . .

Might hire only women because they feel they make better engineers than men.

If someone is biased against a certain religion, they . . .

Might show it by making rude or insensitive comments toward that religion.

If someone is biased against a different political affiliation, they . . .

Might show their bias by quickly disagreeing with anyone who aligns with that opposing political view.

Generally, articles with less bias are . . .

More trustworthy than articles with more bias.

In a world where the average news reader only has an eight-second attention span, it's common for . . .

News outlets to publish stories in 500 words or less.

An online news outlet might commit advertising bias if its biggest sponsor was a major airline, and they . . .

Only to highlight positive stories relating to that airline and only negative incidents regarding other airlines.

Different words with different connotations of the word "unattractive" include . . .

Plain, dull, and ugly.

A celebrity news outlet might commit corporate bias if they also own a luxury jewelry company, and they . . .

Post favorable articles about celebrities wearing that designer's accessories.

Bias is a tendency, inclination, or . . .

Prejudice toward or against something or someone.

Different words with different connotations of the word "attractive" include . . .

Pretty, beautiful, handsome, and fair.

Authors use different types of diction to . . .

Produce different effects.

When a media outlet chooses to report extraordinary events in favor of everyday events, this is known as . . .

Sensationalism.

Different words with different connotations of the word "thin" include . . .

Slender, slim, skinny, lean, and beanpole.

Figurative diction . . .

Sommunicates meaning beyond the literal meanings of words.

In common diction diction, words are not . . .

Specific to any context or profession.

Diction is a key tool when seeking truth because . . .

Words are the building blocks of ideas, and authors often reveal their bias through their words.

Words that are usually difficult to understand outside of the context are often . . .

Technical diction.

An example of sensationalism is when . . .

The Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky incident headlined news outlets for weeks, foregoing other stories that might've typically run on the front page.

Some bias will be easy to identify, especially if . . .

The article has "Editorial" or "Opinion" in the title.

Abstract diction is . . .

The language (words and phrases) we use to describe qualities that CANNOT be perceived with our five senses (sight, touch, smell, taste and hearing).

Concrete diction is . . .

The language we use to describe qualities that CAN be perceived with our five senses (sight, touch, smell, taste and hearing).

Context includes . . .

The circumstances or setting that come before or after a word or passage and clarify its meaning.

The journalists were on the scene at the innerbelt crash to document the incident for the evening news.

The connotation of Example B is more documentarian and neutral. It implies that the journalists are just doing their job. The overall tone is neutral and completely without emotion. However, it could also be considered dry and bland in comparison to Example A.

The media were swarming around the pileup on the innerbelt to capture every conceivable injury for the evening news.

The connotation of this example is more sensationalist and negative, implying that the reporters want to use the crash to improve their news story. The overall tone seems critical towards the media.

Literal diction is . . .

Words that mean exactly what they say.

When an author uses diction in context, . . .

The meanings of some words can change.

Technical diction involves . . .

Words used in a specific context for specific meaning.

Common diction is . . .

Words used in everyday settings and groups of people.

Informal diction is . . .

The relaxed, conversational language that we use every day

Jargon is . . .

The technical terminology or characteristic idiom of a special activity, group, profession, or field of study (ie. medical jargon).

Diction is important when seeking the truth because . . .

The words we select reveal our bias.

The two orange circles in the Ebbinghaus illusion are the exact same size, but . . .

Their different contexts make them seem like they're different sizes.

Just because someone shares your personal views on a topic does not necessarily mean . . .

They're more trustworthy than someone with whom you may disagree.

You would call someone "cheap" when . . .

They are unwilling to pay for essential or affordable items.

You yell "Move!" if you're a fireman approaching a burning building surrounded by bystanders, and you need to get through them in order to put out the fire.

This example makes you look brave and professional.

You yell "Move!" at other pedestrians when you're walking down the sidewalk with your friends on a leisurely Saturday afternoon, but you're not in any hurry.

This example makes you look rude and obnoxious.

Prejudice or unsupported judgements in favor or of against one thing, person, or group as compared to another is known as . . .

Unconscious bias.

When using figurative diction, . . .

Words are often used to symbolize ideas and concepts they would not otherwise be associated with.

If someone is biased toward a political affiliation, they . . .

Will tend to speak more positively of politicians belonging to the same party.

If someone is biased in favor of their own religion, they . . .

Will think their beliefs and practices are superior to any other form of religion.

Keep in mind that people often find themselves trusting people . . .

With whom they most closely agree.

Most people can understand common diction . . .

Without much difficulty.

A concise way of understanding diction is in terms of . . .

Word choice.

Connotation would be represented by the luggage because . . .

the traveler's luggage allows them to adapt to different destinations (contexts).