Why not focus on combating the virus? On the active and passive egocentrism in communications

“Egocentrism” in communication usually refers to the fact that interlocutors are subconsciously influenced by their cognitive environment. However, being egocentric may be the product of the interlocutors’ conscious choice rather than the unavoidable impact of cognitive experience. In order to explore some emotive conflicts during the fight against COVID-19 in China, this study distinguishes active egocentrism from passive egocentrism. We further contend that the interplay of the cognitive environment and the active assessment of social context differ in speaker processing and hearer processing, which may result in emotive miscommunications. The facets of the actual social context assessed by interlocutors are also investigated to explain the formation of active egocentrism.