Differences in perceptions created by syntactic‐semantic productions of male and female speakers

Abstract

Speakers from four age groups—sixth graders, university freshmen and sophomores, graduate teaching assistants, and people in their 50's and 60's—were audiotape recorded during spontaneous photograph‐elicited monologues, with 45‐second segments transcribed for later rating. University students read the anonymous transcripts and indicated their perceptions of the speakers on the Speech Dialect Attitudinal Scale. (SDAS). Data were of high reliability and consistent factor structure. Analyses of the three SDAS dimensions revealed: (1) no difference between male and female speakers on socio‐intellectual status; (2) female speakers rated substantially higher on aesthetic quality than male speakers, with the disparity greater in the two older groups of speakers; (3) on dynamism, male speakers rated higher than female speakers.