Generic pronoun use and perceived speaker credibility

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of various alternatives for generic pronoun usage on judgments of speaker credibility. The effects of pronoun usage were examined in interaction with the sex of speaker, sex of listener, and the sex‐typicality of speech topics. Four dimensions of speaker credibility were investigated: composure, dynamism, sociability, and competence. In terms of generic pronoun usage, the results of this study indicate that using “she” can negatively affect perceptions of social attractiveness for all speakers and, in particular, affect a male speaker's perceived competence. The generic “they,” however, did not hinder perceived credibility in any way and, in fact, for females enhanced listeners’ perceptions of their competence. In general, results of this study suggest that if a communicator wishes to use a nontraditional generic pronoun, especially “they,” to express a commitment to greater equity between the sexes, then their credibility will not be significantly diminished.