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When Do Generics Lead to Social Essentialism: Developmental Evidence from Iran

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Title: When Do Generics Lead to Social Essentialism: Developmental Evidence from Iran
Language: English
Authors: Ghazaleh Shahbazi, Hossein Samani, Tara M. Mandalaywala, Khatereh Borhani (ORCID 0000-0001-7936-2669), Telli Davoodi (ORCID 0000-0002-1179-5916)
Source: Infant and Child Development. 2024 33(6).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 11
Publication Date: 2024
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Education
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Elementary School Students, Adults, Indo European Languages, Sex Stereotypes, Racial Differences, Ethnic Stereotypes, Labeling (of Persons), Social Characteristics, Cultural Relevance, Language Usage, Cultural Traits, Biodiversity, Altruism, Heredity
Geographic Terms: Iran
DOI: 10.1002/icd.2538
ISSN: 1522-7227
1522-7219
Abstract: Generic descriptions (e.g., 'girls are emotional') are argued to play a major role in the development of essentialist reasoning about social categories. Although generics are prevalent across languages, studies exploring if and how generic language leads to essentialism have almost exclusively been conducted in English-speaking communities and among Western samples. This is a significant limitation as scholars posit that generic language is a universal cue that signals which categories are culturally relevant. However, without research asking whether generics have similar consequences across diverse cultural and linguistic contexts, it is impossible to make a claim of universality. Here, we will fill this gap, by replicating and extending a previous U.S.-based study assessing the effects of generic language in a sample of Persian-speaking 6 to 9-year-old children (N = 160) and adults (N = 160) in Iran. Participants will hear generic ('Foolies') or specific ('This Foolie') statements (between subjects) that ascribe biological or cultural features to the novel social category of Foolies. We will measure the degree to which exposure to these statements leads to kindhood reasoning (i.e., offering formal explanations for category features) and essentialist reasoning in terms of inheritability. Identifying similar patterns in the Iranian sample as in prior US-based work will support the hypothesis that generic language signals category importance and licences kindhood but does not contribute directly to reasoning about social categories as biologically inheritable. This work contributes to diversifying the field and critically informs theories of social essentialism.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1455151
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: When Do Generics Lead to Social Essentialism: Developmental Evidence from Iran
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ghazaleh+Shahbazi%22">Ghazaleh Shahbazi</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Hossein+Samani%22">Hossein Samani</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Tara+M%2E+Mandalaywala%22">Tara M. Mandalaywala</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Khatereh+Borhani%22">Khatereh Borhani</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7936-2669">0000-0001-7936-2669</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Telli+Davoodi%22">Telli Davoodi</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1179-5916">0000-0002-1179-5916</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Infant+and+Child+Development%22"><i>Infant and Child Development</i></searchLink>. 2024 33(6).
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 11
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  Data: 2024
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Education%22">Elementary Education</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+School+Students%22">Elementary School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Adults%22">Adults</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Indo+European+Languages%22">Indo European Languages</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sex+Stereotypes%22">Sex Stereotypes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Racial+Differences%22">Racial Differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ethnic+Stereotypes%22">Ethnic Stereotypes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Labeling+%28of+Persons%29%22">Labeling (of Persons)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Characteristics%22">Social Characteristics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cultural+Relevance%22">Cultural Relevance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+Usage%22">Language Usage</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cultural+Traits%22">Cultural Traits</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Biodiversity%22">Biodiversity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Altruism%22">Altruism</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Heredity%22">Heredity</searchLink>
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  Label: Geographic Terms
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Iran%22">Iran</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1002/icd.2538
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 1522-7227<br />1522-7219
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
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  Data: Generic descriptions (e.g., 'girls are emotional') are argued to play a major role in the development of essentialist reasoning about social categories. Although generics are prevalent across languages, studies exploring if and how generic language leads to essentialism have almost exclusively been conducted in English-speaking communities and among Western samples. This is a significant limitation as scholars posit that generic language is a universal cue that signals which categories are culturally relevant. However, without research asking whether generics have similar consequences across diverse cultural and linguistic contexts, it is impossible to make a claim of universality. Here, we will fill this gap, by replicating and extending a previous U.S.-based study assessing the effects of generic language in a sample of Persian-speaking 6 to 9-year-old children (N = 160) and adults (N = 160) in Iran. Participants will hear generic ('Foolies') or specific ('This Foolie') statements (between subjects) that ascribe biological or cultural features to the novel social category of Foolies. We will measure the degree to which exposure to these statements leads to kindhood reasoning (i.e., offering formal explanations for category features) and essentialist reasoning in terms of inheritability. Identifying similar patterns in the Iranian sample as in prior US-based work will support the hypothesis that generic language signals category importance and licences kindhood but does not contribute directly to reasoning about social categories as biologically inheritable. This work contributes to diversifying the field and critically informs theories of social essentialism.
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  Data: As Provided
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  Data: 2025
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  Data: EJ1455151
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        Value: 10.1002/icd.2538
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      – Text: English
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      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary School Students
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      – SubjectFull: Iran
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      – TitleFull: When Do Generics Lead to Social Essentialism: Developmental Evidence from Iran
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              Y: 2024
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