Speaking of character: Character strength references in movies and presidential nomination speeches

Abstract

ABSTRACT One way in which language can be used for persuasive purposes is through references to personal character, or the lack thereof. A series of lexica reflecting 24 character strengths were developed and combined with existing lexica reflecting virtues and morality. Two studies were conducted to evaluate these lexica. The first compared words in presidential candidate nomination speeches from 1864 to 2016 to election outcomes. Results indicated that candidates’ use of terms related to hope was a better predictor of election outcomes than incumbency. In the second study, both the highest grossing and highest rated films of 2013–2016 included fewer words representing seven of the character variables than a normative database, while the highest grossing films contained more dialog referencing creativity and leadership. These results indicate that lexical analysis can provide a potentially useful tool for understanding the cultural use of positive character terms.