Quantitative Text Quantitative Text AnalysisAnalysis

Content and Interaction Content and Interaction AnalysesAnalyses

Quantitative text analysis is used when a researcher wants to enumerate some aspect of a communication

text.

What types of utterances most often follow an interruption?

What types of commercials appear most frequently during afternoon

soap operas?

Do male or female characters on

cartoons have greater amounts of speaking

time?

What counts as a “text”?What counts as a “text”?

Texts can be public (advertisements) or Texts can be public (advertisements) or they can be private (transcribed they can be private (transcribed conversations between intimates)conversations between intimates)

Texts can be mediated (email messages) Texts can be mediated (email messages) or face-to-face (group decision making or face-to-face (group decision making conversations)conversations)

Texts can be scripted (press releases) or Texts can be scripted (press releases) or spontaneous (initial interactions between spontaneous (initial interactions between strangers)strangers)

Texts can be linguistic, non-linguistic, or Texts can be linguistic, non-linguistic, or both.both.

Steps in Quantitative Text Steps in Quantitative Text AnalysisAnalysis

Identify your research question/hypothesisIdentify your research question/hypothesis Identify your unit of analysis – what are you trying Identify your unit of analysis – what are you trying

to make a claim about?to make a claim about? Identify your sampling unit – then collect a sample Identify your sampling unit – then collect a sample

of texts.of texts. Identify your coding unit – then have two Identify your coding unit – then have two

independent coders unitize the texts.independent coders unitize the texts. Calculate unitizing reliability (must be at least .70)Calculate unitizing reliability (must be at least .70) Have two independent coders “code” the text.Have two independent coders “code” the text. Calculate inter-coder reliability (must be at Calculate inter-coder reliability (must be at

least .70)least .70) Analyze dataAnalyze data

Content Analysis vs. Interaction Content Analysis vs. Interaction AnalysisAnalysis

Content Analysis Content Analysis examines the examines the distributional distributional structurestructure of a text. of a text.

Researchers Researchers conduct content conduct content analysis using analysis using advertisements, advertisements, speeches, accounts, speeches, accounts, television television programs, etc. as programs, etc. as texts.texts.

Interaction analysis can Interaction analysis can examine the examine the distributional, distributional, interactive, and/or interactive, and/or sequential structuresequential structure of of interaction.interaction.

Researchers conduct Researchers conduct interaction analysis interaction analysis using transcriptions of using transcriptions of face-to-face interaction, face-to-face interaction, mediated “real-time” mediated “real-time” interaction, and scripted interaction, and scripted interactions in TV and interactions in TV and filmfilm

Coding Units for Content Coding Units for Content AnalysisAnalysis

Physical UnitsPhysical Units Syntactical UnitsSyntactical Units ReferentialReferential PropositionalPropositional ThematicThematic

Coding Units in Interaction Coding Units in Interaction AnalysisAnalysis

The Thought UnitThe Thought Unit The ThemeThe Theme The Time IntervalThe Time Interval The Speech Act The Speech Act