Verbal Aggressiveness against Public Figures’ Language: An Analysis of Tweeps’ Comments on Twitter
Abstract
Aggressive communicators take opportunities to attack the self-concept of others on Twitter. Among other Twitter users, public figures tend to receive more verbally aggressive comments. This study identified the forms of verbal aggressiveness contained in the tweeps’ comments and analyzed the underlying rationales of the tweeps to express such verbally aggressive behavior. From 120 tweeps’ comments analyzed, character attack was found in 10 tweeps’ comments (8.3 %), competence attack was found in 3 tweeps’ comments (2.5 %), physical appearance attack was found in 22 tweeps’ comments (18.3 %), the dominant kind of verbal aggressiveness—insult was found in 38 tweeps’ comments (31.8 %), the minor kind of verbal aggressiveness—malediction was found in 1 tweep’s comment (0.8 %), teasing was found in 33 tweeps’ comments (27.5 %), and profanity was found in 13 tweeps’ comments (10.8 %). Of all verbal aggressiveness forms, politicians received verbal aggressiveness in the forms of character attack, competence attack, physical appearance attack, insult, teasing, and profanity. Then, celebrities received all kinds of verbal aggressiveness. However, practitioners only received physical appearance attacks, insults, teasing, and profanity. Environmental influence, pseudonymity, and dissatisfaction became the primary rationales of the tweeps to attack the self-presentation of public figures on Twitter.
References
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Chakrabarty, N. (2020). A Machine Learning Approach to Comment Toxicity Classification. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, 999. Springer.
Chatzakou, D., Leontiadis, I., Blackburn, J., Cristofaro, E., D., Stringhini, G., Vakali, A., & Kourtellis, N. (2019). Detecting Cyberbullying and Cyber aggression in Social Media. ACM Transaction on the Web, 13(3), 1-15.
Chen, C., Gao, D., Li, W., & Hou, Y. (2017). Inferring Topic-Dependent Influence Roles of Twitter Users. Social Media Content Analysis, 225-235.
Chen, L., Ho, S., S., & Lwin, M., O. (2017). A Meta-Analysis of Factors Predicting Cyberbullying Perpetration and Victimization: From the Social Cognitive and Media Effects. New Media & Society, 19(8), 1194-1213.
Chibuwe, A., Mpofu, P., & Bhowa, K. (2021). Naming the Ghosts: Self-Naming, Pseudonyms, and Identities of Phantoms on Zimbabwean Twitter. Social Media + Society,7(3), 39-42.
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Dynel, M., & Poppi, F., M. (2020). The Power of Humorous Retorts to Insults on Twitter. Journal of Language Aggression and Conflict, 8(1), 57-87.
Faourie, P., J. (2017). Normative Media Theory in the Digital Media Landscape: From Media Ethics to Ethical Communication. South African Journal for Communication Theory and Research, 43(2), 109-127.
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Firat, M., Karakurt, P. (2021). Association between Religious Attitudes and Aggression Levels in Turkish University Students. Journal of Religion and Health, 27(4). 117-122.
Floreddu, P., B., & Cabiddu, F. (2016). Social Media Communication Strategies. Journal of Service Marketing, 30(5), 490-503.
Graham, S., L. (2007). Disagreeing to Agree: Conflict, (Im)politeness and Identity in a Computer-Mediated Community. Journal of Pragmatics, 39(4), 742-759.
Hamilton, M., A. (2011). Verbal Aggression: Understanding the Psychological Antecedents and Social Consequences. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 31(1), 5-12.
Haupt, R., M., Jinich, A., Li, J., Nali, M., Mackey, K., T. (2021). Characterizing Twitter User Topics and Communication Network Dynamics of the “Liberate” Movement during COVID-19 Using Unsupervised Machine Learning and Social Network Analysis. Online Social Networks and Media, 21, 5-17.
Humphreys, A. (2016). Social Media: Enduring Principles. Oxford University Press.
Hutchens, J., M., Cicchirillo, J., V., Hmielowski, D., J. (2014). How Could You Think That?: Understanding Intentions to Engage in Political Flaming. New Media & Society, 17(8), 1201-1219.
Howe, W., T., & Cionea, I., A. (2021). Beyond Hours of Video Gameplay: Connections between Verbal Aggressiveness, Genre Preference, and Technology Used. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 3.
Infante, D., A., & Wigley, C., J. (1986). Verbal Aggressiveness: An Interpersonal Model and Measure. Communication Monographs, 53(1), 61-69.
Kelman, H. (1958). Compliance, Identification, and Internalization: Three Processes of Attitude Change. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 2(1), 51-60.
König, L., & Jucks, R. (2019). Hot Topic in Science Communication: Aggressive Language Decreases Trustworthiness and Credibility in Scientific Debates. Public Understanding of Science, 28(4), 401-416.
Mazziotta, A., Mummendey, A., & Wright, S., C. (2011). Vicarious Intergroup Contact Effects: Applying Social-Cognitive Theory to Intergroup Contact Research. SAGE Journal, 14(2), 255-274.
Murthy, D. (2012). Towards a Sociological Understanding of Social Media: Theorizing Twitter. Sociology, 46(6), 1059-1073.
Ortiz, M., & Harwood, J. (2007). A Social Cognitive Theory Approach to the Effects of Mediated Intergroup Contact on Intergroup Attitudes. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 51(4), 615- 631.
Patterson, L., J., Allan, A., & Cross, D. (2017). Adolescent Perception of Bystanders’ Response to Cyberbullying. New Media & Society, 19(3), 366- 382.
Peddinti, S., T., Ross, K., W., & Cappos, J. (2017). User Anonymity on Twitter. IEEE Security & Privacy, 15(3), 84- 87.
Rachoene, M., & Oyedemi, T. (2015). From Self-Expression to Social Aggression: Cyberbullying Culture among South African Youth on Facebook. South African Journal for Communication Theory and Research, 41(3), 302- 319.
Risch, J., & Krestel, R. (2020). Toxic Comment Detection in Online Discussion. Algorithms for Intelligent Systems.
Roberto, J. A., Meyer, G., Boster, & Roberto, L. H. (2006). Adolescents’ Decisions about Verbal and Physical Aggression. Journal of Communication, 29(1), 135-147.
Rösner, L., Krämer, N., C. (2016). Verbal Venting in Social Web: Effects of Anonymity and Group Norms on Aggressive Language Use in Online Comments. SAGE Journal, 2(3), 1-13.
Schrodt, P., Wheeless, L. (2001). Aggressive Communication and Informational Reception Apprehension: The Influence of Listening Anxiety and Intellectual Inflexibility on Trait Argumentativeness and Verbal Aggressiveness. Communication Quarterly, 49, 53-69.
Shane-Simpson, C., Manago, A., Gaggi, N., & Gillespie-Lynch, K. (2018). Why Do College Students Prefer Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram? Site Affordances, Tensions between Privacy and Self-Expressions, and Implications for Social Capital. Computer in Human Behavior, 86, 276-288.
Simão, V., A., M., Ferreira, P., C., & Fransisco, S. M. (2018). Cyberbullying: Shaping the Use of Verbal Aggression through Normative Moral Beliefs and Self-Efficacy. New Media & Society, 20(2), 1-20.
Simão, V., A., M., Ferreira, P., C., Pereira, N., Oliveira, S., Paulino, P., Rosa, H., Ricardo, R. & Trancoso, I. (2021). Prosociality in Cyberspace: Developing Emotion and Behavioral Regulation to Decrease Aggressive Communication. Cognitive Computation, 13, 736-750.
Sundstrom, B., & Levenshus, A., B. (2017). The art of engagement: Dialogic strategies on Twitter. Journal of Communication Management, 21(1), 17-33.
Svobodova, J., & Nováková, E. (2019). Verbal Aggressiveness in Communication in Media and Online: A Case Study of the TV Cooking Show. Bohemistyka, 4, 427-459.
Takhteyev, Y., Gruzd, A., & Wellman, B. (2012). Geography of Twitter Networks. Social Networks, 34(1), 73-81.
Tausczik, Y., Farzan, R., Levine, J., & Kraut, R. (2018). Effects of Collective Socialization on Newcomers’ Response to Feedback in Online Communities. ACM Transactions on Social Computing, 1(2), 1-23.
Theocharis, D., & Bekiari, A. (2017). Applying Social Network Indicators in the Analysis of Verbal Aggressiveness at School. Journal of Computer and Communication, 5(7), 1- 13.
Valkenburg, P., M. (2017). Understanding Self- Effect in Social Media. Human Communication Research, 43(4), 477-490.
Vidyullatha, P., Padhy, S., N., Priya, J., G., Srija, K., Koppisetti, S., S. (2021). Identification and Classification of Toxic Comments using Machine Learning Methods. Turkish Journal of Computer and Mathematics Education, 12(9), 70-74.
Vilanova, F., Beria, F., N., Costa, A., B., & Koller, S., H. (2017). Deindividuation: From Le Bon to the Social Identity Model of Deindividuation Effects. Cogent Psychology, 4(1), 1-54.
Walther, J., B., Liang, Y., J., Deandrea, D., C., Tong, S., T., Carr, C., T., Spottswood, E., L., & Amichai, Y. (2011). The Effect of Feedback on Identity Shift in Computer-Mediated Communication. Media Psychology, 14(1), 1-26.
Watanabe, H., Bouazizi, M., & Ohtsuki, T. (2018). Hate Speech on Twitter: A Pragmatic Approach to Collect Hateful and Offensive Expressions and Perform Hate Speech Detection. IEEE Access, 6, 13825- 13835.
Wicaksono, A.H. & Arif, F. (2018). Insult Against Public Officials in Social Media: The Ethical and Legal Debate Over the Right to Freedom of Expression in Indonesia. International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology, 9(5), 1059-1065.
Whitting,. Rebecca,. Pritchard, & Katrina. (2017). Digital Ethics. Handbook of Qualitative Business and Management Research Methods. UK: Sage.
Yoo, J., Choi, S., Choi, M., & Rho, J. (2014). Why People Use Twitter: A Social Conformity and Social Value Perspectives. Online Information Review, 38(2), 265- 283.
Appel, M., Holtz, P., Stiglbauer, B., & Batinic, B. (2012). Parents as a Resource: Communication Quality Affects the Relationship between Adolescents’ Internet Use and Loneliness. Journal of Adolescent, 35(6), 1641-1648.
Avtgis, T., A., (2010). Arguments, Aggression, and Conflicts: New Directions in Theory and Research, 267-284. NY: Routledge.
Best, P., Manktelow, R., & Taylor, B. (2014). Online Communication, Social Media, and Adolescent Wellbeing: A Systematic Narrative Review. Children and Youth Services Review, 41(7), 27-36.
Bykov, L., V., Balakhonskaya, I., A., Gladchenko, & Balakhonsky, V., V. (2018). Verbal Aggression as a Communication Strategy in Digital Society. IEEE Communication Strategies in Digital Society Workshop, 12-14.
Bandura, A., Dorothea, R., & Sheila, A. (1961). Transmissions of Aggression through Imitation of Aggressive Models. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 63(3), 575-582.
Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs. NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Bartoli, B., Carminati, E., Ferrari, & Medvet, E. (2016). A Language and an Inference Engine for Twitter Filtering Rules. IEEE/WIC/ACM International Conference on Web Intelligence, 614-617.
Bekiari, A., Deliligka, S., & Hasanagas, N. (2017). Analyzing Networks of Verbal Aggressiveness and Motivation. Psychology, 8, 495-515.
Chakrabarty, N. (2020). A Machine Learning Approach to Comment Toxicity Classification. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, 999. Springer.
Chatzakou, D., Leontiadis, I., Blackburn, J., Cristofaro, E., D., Stringhini, G., Vakali, A., & Kourtellis, N. (2019). Detecting Cyberbullying and Cyber aggression in Social Media. ACM Transaction on the Web, 13(3), 1-15.
Chen, C., Gao, D., Li, W., & Hou, Y. (2017). Inferring Topic-Dependent Influence Roles of Twitter Users. Social Media Content Analysis, 225-235.
Chen, L., Ho, S., S., & Lwin, M., O. (2017). A Meta-Analysis of Factors Predicting Cyberbullying Perpetration and Victimization: From the Social Cognitive and Media Effects. New Media & Society, 19(8), 1194-1213.
Chibuwe, A., Mpofu, P., & Bhowa, K. (2021). Naming the Ghosts: Self-Naming, Pseudonyms, and Identities of Phantoms on Zimbabwean Twitter. Social Media + Society,7(3), 39-42.
Denson, T., F., Siobhan, M., O., Khandis, R., & Joanne, R., B. (2018). Aggression in Women: Behavioral Neuroscience. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 12, 81-94.
D’Errico, F., Poggi, I., & Corriero, R. (2017). The Leader’s voice and Communicative Aggression in Social Media. Boston: De Gruyter.
Deutsch, M., & Gerard, H., B. (1955). A Study of Normative and Informational Social Influences upon Individual Judgment. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 51(3), 629-636.
Dijk, J., F. (2011). Tracing Twitter: The Rise of a Microblogging Platform. International Journal of Media & Cultural Politics, 7(3), 333-348.
Dynel, M., & Poppi, F., M. (2020). The Power of Humorous Retorts to Insults on Twitter. Journal of Language Aggression and Conflict, 8(1), 57-87.
Faourie, P., J. (2017). Normative Media Theory in the Digital Media Landscape: From Media Ethics to Ethical Communication. South African Journal for Communication Theory and Research, 43(2), 109-127.
Ferreira, C., P., Simáo, M., A., Pereira, S., N., Paulino, P., & Oliveira, S. (2020). Online Verbal Aggression, Social Relationship, and Self-Efficacy Beliefs. New Media & Society, 23(5), 1-22.
Festinger, L., Pepitone, A., & Newcomb, T. M. (1963). Some Consequences of Deindividuation in a Group. Personality and Social System, 125-135.
Firat, M., Karakurt, P. (2021). Association between Religious Attitudes and Aggression Levels in Turkish University Students. Journal of Religion and Health, 27(4). 117-122.
Floreddu, P., B., & Cabiddu, F. (2016). Social Media Communication Strategies. Journal of Service Marketing, 30(5), 490-503.
Graham, S., L. (2007). Disagreeing to Agree: Conflict, (Im)politeness and Identity in a Computer-Mediated Community. Journal of Pragmatics, 39(4), 742-759.
Hamilton, M., A. (2011). Verbal Aggression: Understanding the Psychological Antecedents and Social Consequences. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 31(1), 5-12.
Haupt, R., M., Jinich, A., Li, J., Nali, M., Mackey, K., T. (2021). Characterizing Twitter User Topics and Communication Network Dynamics of the “Liberate” Movement during COVID-19 Using Unsupervised Machine Learning and Social Network Analysis. Online Social Networks and Media, 21, 5-17.
Humphreys, A. (2016). Social Media: Enduring Principles. Oxford University Press.
Hutchens, J., M., Cicchirillo, J., V., Hmielowski, D., J. (2014). How Could You Think That?: Understanding Intentions to Engage in Political Flaming. New Media & Society, 17(8), 1201-1219.
Howe, W., T., & Cionea, I., A. (2021). Beyond Hours of Video Gameplay: Connections between Verbal Aggressiveness, Genre Preference, and Technology Used. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 3.
Infante, D., A., & Wigley, C., J. (1986). Verbal Aggressiveness: An Interpersonal Model and Measure. Communication Monographs, 53(1), 61-69.
Kelman, H. (1958). Compliance, Identification, and Internalization: Three Processes of Attitude Change. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 2(1), 51-60.
König, L., & Jucks, R. (2019). Hot Topic in Science Communication: Aggressive Language Decreases Trustworthiness and Credibility in Scientific Debates. Public Understanding of Science, 28(4), 401-416.
Mazziotta, A., Mummendey, A., & Wright, S., C. (2011). Vicarious Intergroup Contact Effects: Applying Social-Cognitive Theory to Intergroup Contact Research. SAGE Journal, 14(2), 255-274.
Murthy, D. (2012). Towards a Sociological Understanding of Social Media: Theorizing Twitter. Sociology, 46(6), 1059-1073.
Ortiz, M., & Harwood, J. (2007). A Social Cognitive Theory Approach to the Effects of Mediated Intergroup Contact on Intergroup Attitudes. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 51(4), 615- 631.
Patterson, L., J., Allan, A., & Cross, D. (2017). Adolescent Perception of Bystanders’ Response to Cyberbullying. New Media & Society, 19(3), 366- 382.
Peddinti, S., T., Ross, K., W., & Cappos, J. (2017). User Anonymity on Twitter. IEEE Security & Privacy, 15(3), 84- 87.
Rachoene, M., & Oyedemi, T. (2015). From Self-Expression to Social Aggression: Cyberbullying Culture among South African Youth on Facebook. South African Journal for Communication Theory and Research, 41(3), 302- 319.
Risch, J., & Krestel, R. (2020). Toxic Comment Detection in Online Discussion. Algorithms for Intelligent Systems.
Roberto, J. A., Meyer, G., Boster, & Roberto, L. H. (2006). Adolescents’ Decisions about Verbal and Physical Aggression. Journal of Communication, 29(1), 135-147.
Rösner, L., Krämer, N., C. (2016). Verbal Venting in Social Web: Effects of Anonymity and Group Norms on Aggressive Language Use in Online Comments. SAGE Journal, 2(3), 1-13.
Schrodt, P., Wheeless, L. (2001). Aggressive Communication and Informational Reception Apprehension: The Influence of Listening Anxiety and Intellectual Inflexibility on Trait Argumentativeness and Verbal Aggressiveness. Communication Quarterly, 49, 53-69.
Shane-Simpson, C., Manago, A., Gaggi, N., & Gillespie-Lynch, K. (2018). Why Do College Students Prefer Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram? Site Affordances, Tensions between Privacy and Self-Expressions, and Implications for Social Capital. Computer in Human Behavior, 86, 276-288.
Simão, V., A., M., Ferreira, P., C., & Fransisco, S. M. (2018). Cyberbullying: Shaping the Use of Verbal Aggression through Normative Moral Beliefs and Self-Efficacy. New Media & Society, 20(2), 1-20.
Simão, V., A., M., Ferreira, P., C., Pereira, N., Oliveira, S., Paulino, P., Rosa, H., Ricardo, R. & Trancoso, I. (2021). Prosociality in Cyberspace: Developing Emotion and Behavioral Regulation to Decrease Aggressive Communication. Cognitive Computation, 13, 736-750.
Sundstrom, B., & Levenshus, A., B. (2017). The art of engagement: Dialogic strategies on Twitter. Journal of Communication Management, 21(1), 17-33.
Svobodova, J., & Nováková, E. (2019). Verbal Aggressiveness in Communication in Media and Online: A Case Study of the TV Cooking Show. Bohemistyka, 4, 427-459.
Takhteyev, Y., Gruzd, A., & Wellman, B. (2012). Geography of Twitter Networks. Social Networks, 34(1), 73-81.
Tausczik, Y., Farzan, R., Levine, J., & Kraut, R. (2018). Effects of Collective Socialization on Newcomers’ Response to Feedback in Online Communities. ACM Transactions on Social Computing, 1(2), 1-23.
Theocharis, D., & Bekiari, A. (2017). Applying Social Network Indicators in the Analysis of Verbal Aggressiveness at School. Journal of Computer and Communication, 5(7), 1- 13.
Valkenburg, P., M. (2017). Understanding Self- Effect in Social Media. Human Communication Research, 43(4), 477-490.
Vidyullatha, P., Padhy, S., N., Priya, J., G., Srija, K., Koppisetti, S., S. (2021). Identification and Classification of Toxic Comments using Machine Learning Methods. Turkish Journal of Computer and Mathematics Education, 12(9), 70-74.
Vilanova, F., Beria, F., N., Costa, A., B., & Koller, S., H. (2017). Deindividuation: From Le Bon to the Social Identity Model of Deindividuation Effects. Cogent Psychology, 4(1), 1-54.
Walther, J., B., Liang, Y., J., Deandrea, D., C., Tong, S., T., Carr, C., T., Spottswood, E., L., & Amichai, Y. (2011). The Effect of Feedback on Identity Shift in Computer-Mediated Communication. Media Psychology, 14(1), 1-26.
Watanabe, H., Bouazizi, M., & Ohtsuki, T. (2018). Hate Speech on Twitter: A Pragmatic Approach to Collect Hateful and Offensive Expressions and Perform Hate Speech Detection. IEEE Access, 6, 13825- 13835.
Wicaksono, A.H. & Arif, F. (2018). Insult Against Public Officials in Social Media: The Ethical and Legal Debate Over the Right to Freedom of Expression in Indonesia. International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology, 9(5), 1059-1065.
Whitting,. Rebecca,. Pritchard, & Katrina. (2017). Digital Ethics. Handbook of Qualitative Business and Management Research Methods. UK: Sage.
Yoo, J., Choi, S., Choi, M., & Rho, J. (2014). Why People Use Twitter: A Social Conformity and Social Value Perspectives. Online Information Review, 38(2), 265- 283.
Published
2022-06-30
How to Cite
MEUTIA, Rita; GULYANTO, Bambang.
Verbal Aggressiveness against Public Figures’ Language: An Analysis of Tweeps’ Comments on Twitter.
Asian Journal of Behavioural Sciences, [S.l.], v. 4, n. 2, p. 118-134, june 2022.
ISSN 2710-5865.
Available at: <https://myjms.mohe.gov.my/index.php/ajbs/article/view/18631>. Date accessed: 20 sep. 2024.
Section
Articles
