Introduction

Today I learned (TIL) about a new way of determining the level of interest of a group of people in a certain topic or object: linguistic profusion. I came across the research method in renowned anthropologist's E. E. Evans-Pritchard book The Nuer (1940). I am of the opinion that this could be a useful method for generative user research as well.

In this account of his ethnographic research on the Nuer of Sudan, Evans-Pritchard attempts to gauge their interest in cattle, especially cows. His conviction is that the Nuer's social idiom is above all a bovine idiom and that they define all social processes and relationships in terms of cattle. (19) According to him, not only does cattle have great economic utility, but, irrespective of use, they are in themselves a cultural end. He says about the Nuer and the role of cattle in their lives: 'On them are concentrated his immediate interests and his farthest ambitions. More than anything else they determine his daily actions and dominate his attention.' (40) Note that these attitudes are also commonly investigated in user research.

He defends his thesis by describing the role of cows in a myriad of examples, amongst others in the cohesion of territorial groups, definition of legal status of partners and children in cattle-rights and obligations, tribal feuds, union of marriage, ritual and folklore. And linguistic profusion.

Linguistic profusion to gauge interest

As mentioned before, Evans-Pritchard uses linguistic profusion to show the extent of the Nuer's interests, ambitions, and motivations in regards to cattle.

Linguistic profusion in particular departments of life is one of the signs by which one quickly judges the direction and strength of a people's interests. (41)

The method is fairly simple. Linguistic profusion is measured by the volume and variety of the vocabulary used for a certain object or topic. In the case of Evans-Pritchard he looked at the Nuer cattle vocabulary. (41) He found that the Nuer use an enormous number of words and phrases about cattle and the accompanying tasks of herding and dairy-work. When he focused on only the terms by which they describe cattle by reference to their colors, he found that there are several hundred color permutations. (44)

Using linguistic profusion as a marker of interest in cattle, Evans-Pritchard concluded that 'The over-emphasis on cattle is thus strikingly shown in language, which, moreover, by compelling reference to cattle, whatever be the subject of speech, continually focuses attention on them and makes them the superlative value of Nuer life.' (48) Linguistic profusion shows that the Nuer care a great deal about cattle.

Potential application in user research

Generative user research focuses on gaining a deep understanding of a user group; uncovering mental models; and discovering broadly about user behaviors, motivations, attitudes, perceptions, beliefs, and pain points. To make a model ('persona') of the user, we typically aim to answer questions such as 'What does the user value?' 'What does the user desire?' 'What motivates the user to take certain actions?' To answer these questions, we need to establish the level of interest of the user in a certain topic or object. Is the user truly interested? The method of linguistic profusion is a good pointer to whether this is the case or not.

How would I use linguistic profusion in my research? The method seems best applied when you are researching a larger community that uses their own language. This does not necessarily mean the nation of a country; it could mean teenagers at a high school, or airplane mechanics at an airline. For example, I learned that mechanics at an airline used many different ways to describe the specific status of Out of Service (OOS) airplanes. This shows that OOS airplanes are an important focus for this user group.

Unlike Evans-Pritchard, if I were to use the method of linguistic profusion, I would use a comparative approach to have a benchmark of what can be considered 'a lot' of words or 'a wide variety' of words in a certain field. Especially in generative research, where there is still much to explore, a researcher may not have this benchmark yet and thus it would be difficult to determine whether the volume and variety are significant or not.

Use it in its context

By looking at the volume and variety of words in and of itself you should gain a valuable and novel insight into user interests. To take it one step further, you could also consider the context in which the words are used.

The cattle vocabulary that Evans-Pritchard examined was not only used to describe the cattle. It was used in many situations of social life, such as ritual, poetry, and as nicknames of the cattle owners. To get a deeper insight into the user, I expect that it makes an important difference in what situations and by whom the words are used in order to determine their weight and with it the users' interest in the object or topic.

Conclusion

The method of linguistic profusion to gauge a user group's interest in a certain topic or object is an interesting method that I have not heard mentioned before. With all of the research methods that we as user researcher employ, it seems like a worthwile approach to add to the toolbox in order to view the users' attitudes from a new direction.

Source: E. E. Evans Pritchard The Nuer (1940) Oxford University Press