MacEwan University researcher rebuts 'harmful' langauge guides in new study

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNewsLocal News MacEwan University researcher rebuts 'harmful' langauge guides in new study "If there's measurable harm here, we should be able to find that." Author of the article: By Liam Newbigging Published Sep 21, 2026 3 minute read Join the conversation Scott Semenyna is an assistant professor in the psychology department at MacEwan University in Edmonton. His recent research looks into whether or not words deemed harmful by some academic and professional bodies actually have a measurable impact on people. PHOTO BY SUPPLIED /MacEwan University Article content A new study, co-authored by a MacEwan University researcher, suggests a cluster of words academics and professionals have been told to avoid might not be that harmful after all. Article content Edmonton-based psychology professor Scott Semenyna teamed up with former colleagues at Stetson University in Florida to test whether harmful language guides from academic and professional bodies like the American Psychological Association were correctly identifying words that caused real harm to people. Article content Article content Article content While some terms in these guides felt obviously inappropriate, Semenyna said others, like “master bedroom,” raised eyebrows over whether they could actually cause a person negative feelings. Article content Headline News Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content “We were told that we weren’t supposed to say words like ‘pipeline’ because it could remind people of the oil industry. We weren’t supposed to say terms like ‘victim,'” he said. Article content The guides then led him and his co-authors to put these claims to the scientific method. Article content “If there’s measurable harm here, we should be able to find that,” he said. Article content Article content These guides also offered up best-practice alternatives, which the authors tested. For example, guides suggested “breastfeeding” be changed to “chestfeeding,” and “pregnant woman” was swapped for “birthing person.” Article content Harmful words rated, alternatives less preferred Article content In the first part of the study, researchers took 175 of these harmful words along with their recommended…