Language evolution and ethnic group/dialect name affecting ethnic information processing: Three major Chinese dialects in Guangdong

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1041.2021.00944

Abstract

Abstract:

Language is one of the important cultural characteristics of ethnic groups. Based on the historical facts that the three dialects in Guangdong are immigrants from the Central Plains, the paper discusses the differences of language evolution among the three dialects and the influence of ethnic / dialect names on the information processing of the three dialects. Guangdong college students who use dialect as Hakka, Cantonese and Teochew dialect were selected as subjects. Experiment 1 used the R/K model of group reference to investigate the memory of the information of the Central Plains ethnic groups by different dialect speakers; Experiment 2 used the Stroop paradigm to investigate the attention bias of different dialect speakers to the information of the Central Plains ethnic group. The results show that the differences of language evolution and the names of ethnic groups / dialects affect the information retention of different dialects speakers to the Central Plains ethnic groups, and the Hakka dialect groups who tenaciously maintain the ancestral language have group reference effect on the information processing of the Central Plains ethnic groups. The differences of language evolution and the names of ethnic groups / dialects affect the attention bias of dialect speakers to the information of the Central Plains ethnic groups, while the Hakka dialect groups have a tendency to pay attention to the information processing of the Central Plains ethnic groups. The whole study shows that the differences of language evolution and the influence of ethnic / dialect names on the information processing of the same ancestor group can fully preserve the characteristics of the Han ancestral language, strengthen the relationship between dialect and Han ancestral language, and enhance the sense of root ancestor and the identity of the same root group. The results of the study have important implications for the construction of the consciousness of the Chinese community.

Key words: language evolution, ethnic group name, dialect

WU Limei, ZHANG Jijia, MENG Le, ZHANG Xiaolin, HUANG Nanxin, ZHANG Jinqiao. (2021). Language evolution and ethnic group/dialect name affecting ethnic information processing: Three major Chinese dialects in Guangdong. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 53(9), 944-959.

Figures/Tables 6

References 94

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Experimental procedure	Type of personality words	Material example	Average number of strokes	Average word frequency	Part of speech valence
Learning phase	Positive words	Integrity, dependability	17.18 (4.54)	165.55 (67.79)	5.66 (1.43)
Learning phase	Negative word	Snobbish, stubborn	18.60 (5.13)	159.36 (72.74)	2.43 (0.93)
Recognition stage	Positive words	Steady, steady	17.53 (3.74)	163.49 (68.33)	5.58 (1.63)
Recognition stage	Negative word	Rude, sloppy	18.15 (5.47)	160.57 (72.81)	2.32 (0.96)

Experimental procedure	Type of personality words	Material example	Average number of strokes	Average word frequency	Part of speech valence
Learning phase	Positive words	Integrity, dependability	17.18 (4.54)	165.55 (67.79)	5.66 (1.43)
Learning phase	Negative word	Snobbish, stubborn	18.60 (5.13)	159.36 (72.74)	2.43 (0.93)
Recognition stage	Positive words	Steady, steady	17.53 (3.74)	163.49 (68.33)	5.58 (1.63)
Recognition stage	Negative word	Rude, sloppy	18.15 (5.47)	160.57 (72.81)	2.32 (0.96)

Subject type	Reference condition	Memory type
Subject type	Reference condition	Recognition	R	K
Hakka Speaker	Refer to the Hakkas	0.76 (0.15)	0.45 (0.25)	0.30 (0.23)
	Refer to the people of Central Plain	0.68 (0.19)	0.40 (0.24)	0.33 (0.19)
	Reference to Koreans (irrelevant)	0.66 (0.20)	0.35 (0.22)	0.28 (0.17)
Cantonese Speaker	Reference Guangfu people (native)	0.76 (0.13)	0.46 (0.25)	0.29 (0.15)
	Refer to the people of Central Plain	0.70 (0.14)	0.35 (0.22)	0.30 (0.21)
	Reference to Koreans (irrelevant)	0.70 (0.15)	0.38 (0.24)	0.35 (0.20)
Teochew dialect Speaker	Refer to the Teochew people	0.76 (0.19)	0.53 (0.24)	0.23 (0.15)
	Refer to the people of Central Plain	0.64 (0.18)	0.38 (0.22)	0.26 (0.16)
	Reference to Koreans (irrelevant)	0.63 (0.22)	0.37 (0.21)	0.24 (0.14)

Subject type	Reference condition	Memory type
Subject type	Reference condition	Recognition	R	K
Hakka Speaker	Refer to the Hakkas	0.76 (0.15)	0.45 (0.25)	0.30 (0.23)
	Refer to the people of Central Plain	0.68 (0.19)	0.40 (0.24)	0.33 (0.19)
	Reference to Koreans (irrelevant)	0.66 (0.20)	0.35 (0.22)	0.28 (0.17)
Cantonese Speaker	Reference Guangfu people (native)	0.76 (0.13)	0.46 (0.25)	0.29 (0.15)
	Refer to the people of Central Plain	0.70 (0.14)	0.35 (0.22)	0.30 (0.21)
	Reference to Koreans (irrelevant)	0.70 (0.15)	0.38 (0.24)	0.35 (0.20)
Teochew dialect Speaker	Refer to the Teochew people	0.76 (0.19)	0.53 (0.24)	0.23 (0.15)
	Refer to the people of Central Plain	0.64 (0.18)	0.38 (0.22)	0.26 (0.16)
	Reference to Koreans (irrelevant)	0.63 (0.22)	0.37 (0.21)	0.24 (0.14)

Target word type	Material example	Average number of strokes	Average word frequency	Average titer
Positive words	Kind, hard-working	23.50	187.70	6.01
Negative word	Crafty, lazy	24.14	168.11	1.87
Irrelevant word	Bright, dangerous	23.03	172.20	4.03