Gender and conversational style as predictors of conversational behavior

Because gender and speech style co-vary, effects that have been attributed to speakers' gender-based status might in fact be consequences of how peopl e respond to particular styles of speech. To examine the relative impact of gender and speech style on conversants' speech behavior, female and male c onfederates were trained to employ a facilitative or a nonfacilitative styl e of speech in interactions with young adults. Analyses of participants' co nversations with confederates showed that confederate speech style, rather than confederate gender, was a more reliable predictor of participants' spe ech behavior. In conjunction with analyses of participant accommodation to confederate speech, the results revealed subtle differences in how women an d men responded to the behavior of confederates.