Falling vocal intonation signals speaker confidence and conditionally boosts persuasion

Vaughan-Johnston, Thomas, Guyer, Joshua J., Fabrigar, Leandre R., Lamprinakos, Grigorios and Briñol, Pablo 2024. Falling vocal intonation signals speaker confidence and conditionally boosts persuasion. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 10.1177/01461672241262180

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Abstract

People are often advised to project confidence with their bodies and voices to convince others. Prior research has focused on the high and low thinking processes through which vocal confidence signals (e.g., fast speed, falling intonation, low pitch) can influence attitude change. In contrast, this research examines how the vocal confidence of speakers operates under more moderate elaboration levels, revealing that falling intonation only benefits persuasion under certain circumstances. In three experiments, we show that falling (vs. rising) vocal intonation at the ends of sentences can signal speaker confidence. Under moderate elaboration conditions, falling (vs. rising) vocal intonation increased message processing, bolstering the benefit of strong over weak messages, increasing the proportion of message-relevant thoughts, and increasing thought-attitude correspondence. In sum, the present work examined an unstudied role of vocal confidence in guiding persuasion, revealing new processes by which vocal signals increase or fail to increase persuasion.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	In Press
Schools:	Psychology
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
ISSN:	0146-1672
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	4 June 2024
Date of Acceptance:	28 May 2024
Last Modified:	01 Oct 2024 13:45
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/169463

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