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Study Says People Who Continually Point Out Typos Are 'Jerks'
HughPickens.com writes: Sophie Kleeman, writes at Gizmodo that according to a study at the University of Michigan people who are more sensitive to written typos and grammatical errors are indeed the kinds of 'Type A assholes' everyone already suspects them to be. Researchers gathered 83 people and had them read emails that either contained typos ("mkae" or "abuot"), grammar errors (to/too, it's/its or your/you're), or no spelling mistakes at all. Participants were asked at the end of the experiment whether or not they'd spotted any grammatical errors or typos in the emails, and, if so, how much it had bothered them. The researchers then asked the participants to complete a Big Five personality assessment -- which rates where they are on a scale of openness, agreeableness, extraversion/introversion, neuroticism, and conscientiousness -- as well as answer questions about their age, background, and attitude towards language. People who tested as being more conscientious but less open were more sensitive to typos, while those with less agreeable personalities got more upset by grammatical errors. "Less agreeable participants showed more sensitivity to 'grammos' than participants high in agreeability," the researchers said, "perhaps because less agreeable people are less tolerant of deviations from convention."
What are the people who carry out those studies?
I know...people who need something, anything to study for Federal Grant money.
When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
When the spelling mistake changes the meaning of the sentence it's more worth to point it out. Sometimes a subtle error can get weird or hilarious.
If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
Is it April 1st already somewhere on the planet? Crap.
I don't respond to or upvote ACs
The only reasons I can think of that people get hung up on grammatical mistakes are:
1. They like to feel smarter/superior
2. They are OCD or have some kind of fixation
3. They are genuinely trying to help/improve someone's ability
But even if 2 or 3 are true, they still come off as number 1.
My eyes reflect the stars and a smile lights up my face.
Jeez.. Did you see the number of typos and grammatical errors in the story? Editors? HELLO? For instance; "mkae" and "abuot" are NOT words. Come on folks, lets either get professional here or go back to grade school to relearn the basics.
Jerks act like jerks. Who fucking knew?
There's a difference between handling and noticing though. If you sent me a mail with typos in it, I'd notice but fully be able to 'handle' it. If, on the other hand, you later asked me a specific question 'did you notice all the typos?' well then yeah, I noticed them.
Not sure that distinction is well made.
Misuse of to/too, there/their/they're, your/you're, etc is ignorance. There's a difference.
How's that for pointing out errors?
They may be perceived as "disagreeable assholes" by the illiterate, but they are still right.
And no, I don't think, a study mixing typos (like "mkae" instead of "make") with illiteracy ("your" instead of "you're") is actually valid.
In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
...each and every time a plane crosses the equator yet computes it's trajectory correctly, every time your car adjusts properly to changes in air temperature, and every time your pacemaker properly tells your heart to beep.
Jerks rule the tech universe. Others participate, but the Jerks keep them in line and the Jerks rule. Without Jerks all would be chaos.
Learn to spell. Pay attention to grammar. Get the errors out of your maths. Become a Jerk, not an uneducated slob! Then get a high-paying tech job and contribute something to the future of mankind.
So I'm an asshole because it irritates me to no end that some people can't even be bothered to learn the difference between there, their, and they're? Typos ar one thign, even I makes thme, but when a 'typo' is really pure, unadulterated ignorance, is it really the readers fault that they're bothered by it? The English language is complex and full of silly rules, but there are some things so basic and so often called out that there really is no excuse to continually make those errors past grade school.
The article implies that this is a bad thing. There is nothing wrong with getting shit done and doing it right the first time.
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
Let me get this straight -- people who care about correctness and doing things right are assholes?
I completely disagree. Yes, people who constantly correct others in a rude way can come across as arrogant condescending assholes. They also can come across as Insufferable Know-it-alls.
But you know what? I consider people who don't care about being correct to be assholes, and if they bitch when corrected, I consider them to be coddled unique snowflake assholes. I guess that makes me an asshole.
So to the author of this study and all the lemmings who will parrot its findings for the next thousand years, I have to say "My god, it's full of assholes!"
The "Civilized World" jumped the shark ca. 1973.
Not sure that distinction is well made.
No, in the study that distinction is completely ignored. They asked the people if they noticed the typos and mistakes, so the result is that people who notice such things are assholes.
What are the people who notice crappy science and object to that?
Making spelling mistakes online: First, an indicator your correspondent may be poorly educated. Second, proof they have failed to properly use a spelling checker. Third, a virtual guarantee that at least some of their audience will not read for content. Fourth, sufficient provocation that some of those individuals may disrupt the conversation in turn.
Language is a key means for communicating ideas. How well we use it directly affects how well our communications are received. It is, in fact, an art, like painting. However, also like painting, one can paint ideas like a master or finger-paint them like an addled child. Which do you think will be better received?
Learn to write coherently and correctly. It is well worth it. Knowledge is power. Communications skills are tools to exercise that power.
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.