Abstract
The present investigation focused upon the impact of gender and various “powerful” and “less powerful” linguistic features on the communication of unfamiliar male and female college students. Same-sex and mixed-sex dyads were recorded as they engaged in discussions regarding suggestions for a bogus freshman orientation booklet. Although few gender differences were found, the result of a factor analysis yielded three factors: questions, suggestions, and process variables. These factors are consistent with a power perspective in the use of various linguistic features. However, the present findings suggest that gender and power alone cannot explain differences in communication styles. Rather, the results suggest the need to consider other aspects of the speaker to explain differences that occur in the use of language.
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Simkins-Bullock, J.A., Wildman, B.G. An investigation into the relationships between gender and language. Sex Roles 24, 149–160 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00288888
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00288888