What's in a Word? A Job, Hood Senior's Study Says

by John Sarvay

The Washington Post (pre-1997 Fulltext). Washington, D.C.

Jun 6, 1991. pg. j.08

Copyright The Washington Post Company Jun 6, 1991

Speech patterns often used by women in conversation - words and phrases such as "sort of," "really," "very," "well," "uh" and "OK?" and polite hesitations - can seriously hurt a woman's chances in job interviews, according to a psychology honors study by a Hood College senior.

In the study by Leigh Knotts, of Oakland in Garrett County, Md., personnel officers of two dozen companies were asked to listen to tapes of a prospective employee, 12 hearing a version using what are considered four characteristically unassertive female speech features and 12 hearing a tape using the same words but without those features.

In the tapes, made by Knott's psychology professor, Linda Bosmajian, the prospective employee who spoke without the "female" speech features was rated far more favorably. The candidate was described as more likely to succeed in the workplace, more likely to be chosen for management positions and more likely to be respected by co-workers.

While the unassertive conversational mannerisms may appear superficial, in interviews they tend to make a speaker seem indecisive, submissive and lacking in authority - the opposite of traits deemed important for and by managers. And the interview is "the major medium for determining people's access to political, social and economic rewards," according to one study cited by Knotts.

The Hood study focused on speech patterns of women, but it noted that other studies have shown that men also are perceived negatively when they use similar unassertive speech features. The use of such speech patterns may not be just a question of gender but also of status in society, with low-status men using "women's language" or "powerless language" and high-status women using more powerful and direct language generally associated with men.

Some other studies have asserted that men use speech to report, to compete, to gain attention and to maintain their position in a social hierarchy, Knotts said. Women, those studies show, use speech to gain rapport, maintain relationships and reflect a sense of community.

The only study similar to Knotts's reached the same conclusion, but had sociology students rate applicants. Knotts had personnel officers in businesses do the rating.

Four examples of powerless language, cited in previous studies, were underscored in Knotts's study: Tag questions, such as "John, is here, isn't he?" may be appropriate to start or maintain conversations but can make the speaker appear to be seeking approval or lacking in authority. Hedges, such as "It's sort of hot in here" or "I'd kind of like to go," make the speaker appear indecisive, tentative and unassertive. Hesitations, such as "uh," "um" and "well," can make the speaker appear submissive, ineffective and without authority. Intensifiers, such as "so," "such" and "really" and emphasizing words in conversation, also make the speaker appear to lack authority.

Knotts's study concludes that because business is dominated by men, women tend to be "verbally at a disadvantage" in interviews where how something is said may be more important than what is said.