Analyzing Cultural, Linguistic, and Social Differences in Types of Support in English and Spanish Social Media Comments

ACL ARR 2025 February Submission2445 Authors

Abstract: Social support plays a crucial role in online interactions, yet its expression varies across languages and cultures. This study explores linguistic and psychological markers of social support in English and Spanish social media conversations. Using natural language processing (NLP) techniques, including LIWC analysis and GPT-4o classification, we examine emotional, informational, instrumental, and appraisal support types. Our findings reveal significant cultural differences, with English speakers favoring informational support and Spanish speakers emphasizing appraisal support. These insights contribute to cross-cultural NLP research and highlight the need for culturally adaptive social support detection models.

Paper Type: Long

Research Area: Computational Social Science and Cultural Analytics

Research Area Keywords: Social support, NLP, GPT, LIWC

Contribution Types: Model analysis & interpretability, NLP engineering experiment, Data analysis

Languages Studied: English, Spanish

Submission Number: 2445