Blirtatiousness: Cognitive, behavioral, and physiological consequences of rapid responding

The Brief Loquaciousness and Interpersonal Responsiveness Test (BLIRT) meas ures the extent to which people respond to others quickly and effusively. T he BLIRT displays desirable psychometric properties and distinguishes peopl e who should theoretically score high (e.g., car salespersons) from those w ho should score low (e.g., librarians). Scores on the scale predict (a) the amount and rapidity of people's verbal responses in an unstructured intera ction, (b) how likable and competent people's classmates perceive them to b e early in the semester, (c) how quickly people respond to an obnoxious cel l-phone user and how physiologically aroused they become, and (d) how quick ly and emphatically people respond to a series of personal insults as well as their degree of physiological arousal. Converging evidence indicates tha t blirtatiousness is unique in its ability to amplify people's qualities, m aking these qualities more readily observable to perceivers.