The internal structure of dual character concepts: A corpus-based study of SCIENTIST

Abstract

Over the past decade, there has been a growing interest in dual character concepts (DCCs). These concepts are defined by their internal structures, which consist of two distinct dimensions: a descriptive and an independent normative dimension. However, a more in-depth exploration of their internal structures is still needed. This article examines the internal structure of one DCC that has garnered significant attention in the literature, scientist. First, I analyze the components of the different dimensions of this concept. Second, I explore the interaction between these two dimensions. To do so, I investigate scientist in the enTenTen20 corpus using Sketch Engine, focusing on the expressions “good scientist” and “true scientist”, as the literature suggests they interact more directly with the descriptive and normative dimensions, respectively. The findings from this investigation offer valuable insights for studying other DCCs, as the results suggest, among others, the following key points: first, that the complexity of the two dimensions of scientist is greater than previously recognized; and second, contrary to what is agreed, both the descriptive and the normative dimension interact with “good” and “true,” which implies that both expressions can be used to make the two types of normative evaluation proper of DCCs.