What Were They Thinking? Analytic and Cognitive Language in Instagram Captions

Abstract

Background
We examined content and expression of Instagram captions of major celebrities who differed according to sex and status, with a
focus on determining whether these variables influenced the use of analytic language and cognitive content.
Method
Instagram captions (n=942) were analyzed with the linguistic inquiry and word count (LIWC), which delineated percentage of
language reflecting analytical thought and various cognitive mechanisms, such as causality and discrepancy.
Results
Men and low-status persons used more functional analytic language, demonstrating critical thought; in contrast, high-status celeb
rities showed more causality. Women more than men “qualified” their speech with discrepancy. These findings were not a function
of sentence length.

Conclusion
Status increased the tendency to construct and explain, perhaps because higher status celebrities (particularly women) knew that
they could hold followers’ attention with complex content. The tendency to write captions that were concrete was seen in those
lower-status persons who may have perceived that followers would not wade through a lot of complicated thoughts. Thus, status
contributes to the manner in captioning based, perhaps, on having a broader audience willing to read more complex language.