Gender, language, and influence.

Abstract

College of the Holy Cross Mixed-and same-sex dyads were observed to examine effects of gender composition on language and of language on gender differences in influence. Ss discussed a topic on which they disagreed. Women were more tentative than men, but only in mixed-sex dyads. Women who spoke tentatively were more influential with men and less influential with women. Language had no effect on how influential men were. In a second study, 120 Ss listened to an audiotape of identical persuasive messages presented either by a man or a woman, half of whom spoke tentatively. Female speakers who spoke tentatively were more influential with male Ss and less influential with female Ss than those who spoke assertively. Male speakers were equally influential in each condition. Researchers have reported a wide variety of language differences between the sexes (e.g,

Gender differences in response to Facebook status updates from same and opposite gender friends

“…The socialization explanation predicts that the greatest gender differences would be observed in the use of language in same gender interactions, because both parties would follow the same behavioral norms. In contrast, the social context explanation predicts that gender differences in language use would be greatest in opposite gender interactions, because gender becomes a status characteristic in opposite gender interactions (Carli, 1989(Carli, , 1990Leman, Ahmed, & Ozarow, 2005;Leman, Macedo, Bluschke, Hudson, Rawling, & Wright, 2011, Leaper, 2014.…”

“…Males may dominate social interactions through the use of more assertive language, whereas women may be more likely to act subordinately through using more affiliative language. This explanation would predict fewer differences between males and females in same-gender interactions because it is within opposite-gender interactions that gender becomes a status characteristic (Carli, 1989(Carli, , 1990Leman, Ahmed, & Ozarow, 2005;Leman, Macedo, Bluschke, Hudson, Rawling, & Wright, 2011, Leaper, 2014. Another important contextual factor is group size and familiarity.…”

“…This theory predicts that gender differences in language will be greatest in same gender interactions (i.e. when comparing male-male and female-female communication), because partners of the game gender share similar social norms concerning language and communication (Carli, 1989(Carli, , 1990Leman, Ahmed, & Ozarow, 2005;Leman, Macedo, Bluschke, Hudson, Rawling, & Wright, 2011, Leaper, 2014.…”

“…The authors asked the participants how they would respond to a Facebook status update from a close friend, but they did not specify whether it was a friend of the same or opposite gender. Interestingly, the different social explanations of gender differences in language make different predictions concerning language in relation to a same or opposite gender friends (Carli, 1989(Carli, , 1990Leman, Ahmed, & Ozarow, 2005;Leman, Macedo, Bluschke, Hudson, Rawling, & Wright, 2011, Leaper, 2014. The socialization explanation predicts that the greatest gender differences would be observed in the use of language in same gender interactions, because both parties would follow the same behavioral norms.…”

The gender gap in pay in company boards

“…In the same vein, 15 Catalyst (1993) showed that CEOs were reluctant to appoint women as directors of BDs because they believe that females are unqualified. Carli (1990) and Heilman and Haynes (2005) documented that in a male-dominated context, female with work experience can neutralize negative opinions about women's performance, but they are presumed to be less competent than men. Thus, women begin their careers with 20 less human capital than men and reap less compensation than men (Tharenou et al, 1994).…”