The effects of hedges and hesitations on impression formation in a simulated courtroom context

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to refine the concepts of powerful and powerless speech styles by investigating evaluative reactions to hedges and hesitations in a simulated trial context. We asked whether hedges, hesitations, and respondent sex would interact to affect listeners’ evaluations of a speaker. We also asked whether these language variables affected perceptions of guilt. We found that a low level of hedges and hesitations produced the most positive evaluations of authoritativeness and attractiveness. The study also revealed that these variables affected perceptions of guilt.

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