Speed of speech and persuasion.

Abstract

The relationship between speaking rate and attitude change was investigated in two field experiments. Manipulations of speech rate were crossed with (a) credibility of the speaker and (b) complexity of the spoken message. The results suggest that speech rate functions as a general cue that augments credibility; rapid speech enhances persuasion. No support was obtained for information-processing interpretations of the effects of a fast speaking rate. The increased persuasion produced by fast speech could not be attributed to disruption of effective counterarguing. These findings emphasize the importance of perceptual and evaluative factors in the persuasion process at the expense of a more rationalistic information-processing view of how man responds when confronted with an influence attempt. Although many of the persuasive communications received during daily life are orally presented, the characteristics of speech that affect persuasion are rarely studied. Moreover, studies that do examine delivery style typically treat it as a global variable. For instance, Dietrich (1946) studied the dynamism of a speaker's style, Bettinghaus (1961) assessed the effects of overall speaking effectiveness by comparing trained and uncoached students, and Bowers (1965) examined the effects of extroverted and introverted deliv^ ery using dramatic arts students to simulate style. The persuasive effects of more discrete characteristics of oral delivery, such as intensity, pitch, speed of presentation, or specific emotional qualities apparently more rarely elicit attention. Several considerations suggest that speech rate might be an important variable. Texts on speech (Allen, Anderson, & Hough, 1968; Monroe & Ehninger, 1974) have reported considerable individual variation in speaking rate with 120-180 words per minute as the lower and upper limits of normal speech. 1 It