Dimensions of Mind in Semantic Space

Recent psychology research has established that people do not employ a simple unidimensional scale for attributions of personhood, increasing from non-sentient rocks to mentally complex humans. Rather, there are two personhood dimensions: agency (e.g. planning, deciding, acting) and patiency feeling, desiring, experiencing). Here we show this subtle distinction also occurs in the semantic space natural language. We develop computational-linguistics tools measuring variation language validate measures against human judgments. To demonstrate usefulness method, map both dimensions historical English-language corpora over last 200 years. First, while women now perceived as having similar levels men, they still more patient-like. Second, domesticated animals have gradually gained higher patiency, but agency, time.