Sex Differences in Powerful/Powerless Language Use: A Meta-Analytic Review.

Sex differences in language use have been examined for many years, but no clear-cut conclusions exist. A meta-analysis of the existing literature was conducted regarding powerful/powerless language use, including 30 studies, with a total combined sample size of 3,012. The overall correlation indicated that men use more powerful language than women. Type of language feature and gender were found to be moderator variables. Findings suggest that: (1) since men are using more powerful language than women, men are also being perceived as more credible than women; and (2) powerful language is a skill that can be taught. Almost all of the participants in this review were university students--generally the classic 18-22-year-old group. It is possible that in other environments the effects would be more significant; in more "real-world" investigations, men would speak even more powerfully and women would speak even more "powerless-ly." Future research should focus on type of language feature, message elicitation, the dynamics of interaction, and naturally occurring language. Contains 1 table of data and 53 references. (Author/RS)