Semantic Role Agency in Perceptions of the Lexical Items Sick and Evil Semantic Role Agency in Perceptions of the Lexical Items Sick and Evil
Using a variety of prompts to survey 106 respondents, the continuum model is shown to be only partially true. There is a correlation between NON-RESPONSIBILITY and SICK. Also, a continuum exists that allows the assignment of PARTIAL RESPONSIBILITY to both terms. However, there is no definitive significant correlation between RESPONSIBILITY and EVIL.
Further conclusions include the indication of adherence to a legal model of guilt, innocence, and insanity in the general conceptions of SICK and EVIL. Also, demographic variation shows little predictive potential in how people perceive SICK and EVIL. This thesis concludes with a proposal for an alternative model using a Greimas Square to represent the conceptions of SICK and EVIL that more appropriately fits the trends found in the survey data.
School:Brigham Young University
School Location:USA - Utah
Source Type:Master's Thesis
Keywords:thematic roles semantic theta agent lexicon lexical semantics analysis evil sick psycho linguistics socio
Date of Publication:10/24/2008