Redefining a Bizarre Situation: Relative Concept Stability in Affect Control Theory

Abstract

I analyze the process by which we react cognitively to information that contradicts our culturally held sentiments in the context of affect control theory. When bizarre, unanticipated events come to our attention and we have no opportunity to act so as to alter them, we must reidentify at least one event component: the actor, the behavior, or the person who is the object of the action. Currently, however, affect control theory includes no formal model predicting which concept will undergo reidentification. I consider theoretical reasons why actors, behaviors, and object persons each might be predicted to undergo reidentification more than the others. I also present an alternative prediction, consistent with affect control theory logic, based on the contribution made by each concept to the total deflection of the event; I label these discrete contributions “component deflections.” I then test these possibilities in two separate experimental studies, using event vignettes. By far, the most commonly reidentified event component is the behavior; this finding suggests a dynamism in the conceptualization of behaviors which has been underappreciated in a social psychological literature that focuses on self-identities.

Two Faces of Self and Emotion in Symbolic Interactionism: From Process to Structure and Culture—And Back

“…If the student engages in actions like shouting, this will disconfirm the self‐sentiments of the teacher, who will experience an uncomfortable feeling of inauthenticity ; being the object of someone shouting implies being weaker, less good, and less active than a teacher. To restore sentiments, the teacher may try to modify the student identity with adjectives (“scared student”) or redefine the behavior to something less threatening (“crying”) (Nelson ). If this does not work, the teacher may enact another compensating identity, such as “disciplinarian,” and view the student as a “delinquent.” This would make actions such as “scolding,” “punishing,” or “admonishing,” appropriate, because the actor now would be a strong, active person doing a powerful, active, bad act toward a weaker, bad, quieter object, thereby restoring the actor's sentiments about both self and situation.…”

The Neutralization and Denial of Sexual Violence in College Party Subcultures

“…How likely is this scenario?" (Nelson 2006). Respondents were coded as 3 if they chose extremely likely, 2 for somewhat likely, 1 for somewhat unlikely, and 0 for extremely unlikely.…”

Resolving Negative Affect and Restoring Meaning

“…She also highlights the cognitive, affective, and identity processes involved in deflection reduction. Although Nelson's (2006) and Francis's (1997) studies shed light on important structural and affective aspects of redefinition, respectively, to our knowledge, no study has simultaneously explored the multitude of deflection reduction strategies available to interactants. Thus, ACT has not fully theorized or tested what conditions or contexts influence deflection reduction.…”