gramulator
The Devil Is in the Details: New Directions in Deception Analysis
McCarthy, Philip Michael (The University of Memphis ) | Duran, Nicholas D. (University of California Merced) | Booker, Lucille M. (The University of Memphis)
In this study, we use the computational textual analysis tool, the Gramulator, to identify and examine the distinctive linguistic features of deceptive and truthful discourse. The theme of the study is abortion rights and the deceptive texts are derived from a Devil’s Advocate approach, conducted to suppress personal beliefs and values. Our study takes the form of a contrastive corpus analysis, and produces systematic differences between truthful and deceptive personal accounts. Results suggest that deceivers employ a distancing strategy that is often associated with deceptive linguistic behavior. Ultimately, these deceivers struggle to adopt a truth perspective. Perhaps of most importance, our results indicate issues of concern with current deception detection theory and methodology. From a theoretical standpoint, our results question whether deceivers are deceiving at all or whether they are merely poorly expressing a rhetorical position, caused by being forced to speculate on a perceived proto-typical position. From a methodological standpoint, our results cause us to question the validity of deception corpora. Consequently, we propose new rigorous standards so as to better understand the subject matter of the deception field. Finally, we question the prevailing approach of abstract data measurement and call for future assessment to consider contextual lexical features. We conclude by suggesting a prudent approach to future research for fear that our eagerness to analyze and theorize may cause us to misidentify deception. After-all, successful deception, which is the kind we seek to detect, is likely to be an elusive and fickle prey.
A Contrastive Corpus Analysis of Modern Art Criticism and Photography Criticism
Hullender, Arthur (University of Memphis) | McCarthy, Philip M. (University of Memphis)
In this study, we analyze two corpora of art critiques: one on the subject of photography and the other on the subject of modern art. We use two computational tools, the Gramulator and GPAT to analyze both sets of texts. The Gramulator was used to show the indicative linguistic features that make photography criticism a distinct genre from modern art criticism. Results suggest that lexical features, structural formats, and genre consistency differed significantly between the two corpora. The findings provide information for teachers, students, publishers, and curriculum developers for creating more effective writing and teaching materials. This includes material for English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in the form of textbooks, workbooks and other external learning material.
Differential Linguistic Features in U.S. Immigration Newspaper Articles: A Contrastive Corpus Analysis Using the Gramulator
Haertl, Barbara E. (The University of Memphis) | McCarthy, Philip M. (The University of Memphis)
Our corpus comprises 752 texts, culled from newspapers of U.S. border states (approximately 75 texts per state). Immigration is a national issue in the United States; Because four states border Mexico, we selected four however, regional implications differ because of matching states (of the 11) that border Canada. To do so, immigrants' varying effects on local economies. These we considered the following criteria for all 15 terrestrial implications are made manifest in the reportage of local border states: total population, immigrant population, newspapers, which, while ostensibly portraying length of international border, and political leaning. These "objective" language, may reveal the narrative of local data were input into a custom PERL script designed to perspectives on national issues.
Fairy Tales and ESL Texts: An Analysis of Linguistic Features Using the Gramulator
Rufenacht, Rachel M. (University of Memphis) | McCarthy, Philip M. (University of Memphis) | Lamkin, Travis A (University of Memphis)
Using the Gramulator, we analyzed the linguistic features of ESL texts and fairy tales. Our goal was to determine if fairy tales had the potential to be used as reading material for English language learners. The results of our analyses suggest that there are significant similarities between fairy tales and ESL texts, but that differences lie in the content of the text types with fairy tales appearing significantly more narrative in style and ESL texts appearing more expository.
The Hierarchy of Detective Fiction: A Gramulator Analysis
Lamkin, Travis Alan (University of Memphis) | McCarthy, Philip (University of Memphis)
Closely related genres have complex interrelations. An antecedent genre can constrain a subsequent genre, but changing rhetorical situations can lead to distinctions between an antecedent and its descendent. In this study, we assess two genres of detective fiction to determine their hierarchical relation to one another. We use the Gramulator, a computational tool that identifies indicative lexical features, to explain the relationship between whodunit fiction and hardboiled fiction . We conclude, based on the indicative lexical features of the expositions in texts, that the two are sibling genres.