Powerful and Powerless Language in Health Media: An Examination of the Effects of Biological Sex and Topic Focus on Language Styles

Abstract

Powerless language has been shown to influence audience perceptions, and the media has been shown to influence health behaviors. However, little research has looked at powerless language in health media. This study expands current research regarding powerless language through an examination of written health media. A content analysis on the use of powerless language in health-related articles was conducted for 12 popular magazines over a one-year time span. Analysis compared differences in use of powerless language relative to three variables: biological sex of the author, the biological sex of the audience, and the magazine's overall topic focus. Female authors and health-focused magazines used more powerless language than male authors and generic-focused magazines. Powerless language was more often directed towards a female audience than a male audience. Implications of such findings and suggestions for future research are also discussed.