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Acidity. The Hidden Face of Conflictual and Stressful Situations

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Abstract

The paper overviews the notion of acid communication and analyzes its multimodality and its relation with emotions by providing a theoretical framework of it in terms of cognitive of goals and beliefs. Then, a quantitative–qualitative study is presented using a lexicographic analysis. A questionnaire was submitted to participants, and its qualitative analysis showed that the idea of acid communication has a psychological reality: subjects can recognize it and provide examples of it; they define it, describe it, and attribute it to specific emotional causes in a consistent manner. Acid communication is a sort of half-inhibited aggression, expressed subtly or indirectly, caused by a mix of emotions like anger, bitterness, revenge, and impotence.

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Notes

  1. The index is obtained by calculating the ratio between the total of negative occurrences and the total of positive ones (tot. Occ. Neg/tot. Occ. Pos*100).

  2. In this case we used the standard Italian, resource in Taltac.

  3. The characteristic element index is calculated for all the units with a frequency of more than 5, with a probability threshold set at 5 % through T- Test (Bolasco 1999: 145).

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Acknowledgments

Research supported by SSPNet Seventh Framework Program, European Network of Excellence SSPNet (Social Signal Processing Network), Grant Agreement No. 231287.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychology Faculty, Uninettuno University, Rome, Italy

    Francesca D’Errico

  2. Dipartimento di Filosofia, Comunicazione e Spettacolo, Università Roma Tre, Rome, Italy

    Isabella Poggi

Authors
  1. Francesca D’Errico
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  2. Isabella Poggi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Francesca D’Errico.

Annex 1

Annex 1

The questionnaire on acidity (English translation)

  1. 1.

    Did you happen to meet a person you might define as “acid”?

  2. 2.

    If you did, describe his/her way of being or behaving that causes you to define him/her as such

  3. 3.

    Based on your experience, how would you define “acidity”?

  4. 4.

    Tell of a case in which a person behaved in such a way that you thought s/he was “acid”

  5. 5.

    In your opinion, from what can one see or hear “acidity”?

  6. 6.

    In your opinion, why was that person acid?

  7. 7.

    Why is a person acid, in general?

  8. 8.

    In your opinion, how much each of the following emotions is a cause of acidity? Tell how much you agree from 1 to 5 (1 I do not agree—5 I completely agree). Emotions included: envy, pride, jealousy, disappointment, sadness, vengeance, revenge, contentment, anger, sense of injustice, contempt, hatred, rancor, enthusiasm, sense of impotence, regret, resignation, indignation, resentment, bitterness, grudge, annoyance, and other (please specify)

  9. 9.

    In your opinion, what are the traits of verbal language or bodily communication typical of an acid person?

  10. 10.

    Are there cases in which you think you have been acid?

  11. 11.

    If yes, why were you so? Describe the situation and its antecedents

  12. 12.

    If yes, how did you express your acidity? What did you say/do? From what could one tell it?

  13. 13.

    How did you feel afterward?

  14. 14.

    After that episode, how was your relationship with the person toward whom you had expressed your acidity?

    1. i.

      Worsen–improved–unchanged

  15. 15.

    Imagine you are an acid person (or you behave acidly in a certain situation). Check how much you agree with the following statements (from 1 to 5): I want to let him feel guilty; I want to take vengeance on him; He is less worth than I am; I want him to lose his face; I feel I was subject to injustice; I feel he has power over me; I know that if I get angry with him, he will take vengeance on me; I feel that if I tell him what I think we would quarrel; I feel a victim; He is not as worth as I am; I want to demonstrate I am right; I envy him; I am angry at him; I want to demonstrate how ineffective he is; I deserve more than he; He deserves more than I; Other (please specify).

  16. 16.

    Consider the following areas/contexts. Which is the most acid context? Check your degree of agreement (from 1 to 5).

    1. i.

      Work, politics, school, friendship, love, family relationships, show-business, sport, other (please specify)

  17. 17.

    In your opinion, are there categories of people that more (often) than others are (considered) acid? If yes, which ones?

  18. 18.

    In your opinion, why are they considered acid?

  19. 19.

    And in your opinion, are they really so? If no, why?

  20. 20.

    List up to three famous persons who are “acid”.

  21. 21.

    Why are they so?

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D’Errico, F., Poggi, I. Acidity. The Hidden Face of Conflictual and Stressful Situations. Cogn Comput 6, 661–676 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12559-014-9280-1

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