In a corporate context, would interrupting affect the perceived power, identity traits, job performance, and interpersonal relationships of equally situated male and female speakers? The gender of both the interrupter and the interrupted speaker was varied in hypothetical transcripts of conversations between two corporate vice-presidents. There were no significant effects of interrupting or being interrupted on perceptions of the relative power of men and women speakers. However, the interrupter, regardless of gender, was perceived as more successful and driving, but less socially acceptable, reliable, and companionable than the interrupted speaker.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Alexander, C. Norman
and Mary Glenn Wiley. 1981. “Situated Activity and Identity Formation.” Pp. 269-89 in Social Psychology: A Sociological Perspective, edited by Morris Rosenberg and Ralph Turner. New York: Basic Books.
2.
Bem, Sandra.1975. “The Measurement of Psychological Androgyny.”Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology42:155-62.
3.
Berger, Joseph
, Bernard P. Cohen, and Morris Zelditch.1972. “Status Characteristics and Social Interaction.”American Sociological Review37:241-55.
4.
Berryman-Fink
, Cynthia L. and James R. Wilcox.1983. “A Multivariate Investigation of Perceptual Attributions Concerning Gender Appropriateness in Language.”Sex Roles9:663-81.
5.
Broverman, Inge K.
, Susan R. Vogel, Donald M. Broverman, Frank E. Clarkson, and Paul S. Rosenkrantz.1972. “Sex-Role Stereotypes: A Current Appraisal.”Journal of Social Issues28:59-78.
6.
Carmines, Edward G.
and Richard A. Zeller. 1979. Reliability and Validity Assessment.Beverly Hills: Sage.
7.
Eakins, Barbara W.
and R. Gene Eakins. 1978. Sex Differences in Human Communication.Boston: Houghton-Mifflin.
8.
Erickson, Bonnie
, Allan E. Lind, Bruce C. Johnson, and William M. O'Barr.1978. “Speech Style and Impression Formation in a Court Setting: The Effects of `Powerful' and `Powerless' Speech.'”Journal of Experimental Social Psychology14:266-79.
9.
Hall, Janie L.
and William A. Frederickson.1979. “Sex-Role Stereotyping: A Function of Age and Education as Measured by a Perceptual-Projective Device.”Sex Roles5:77-84.
10.
Jones, Edward E.
and Keith Davis. 1965. “From Acts to Dispositions: The Attribution Process in Person Perception. Pp. 219-66 in Advances in Experimental Social Psychology. Vol. 2, edited by L. Berkowitz. New York: Academic Press.
11.
Kollock, Peter
, Philip Blumstein, and Pepper Schwartz.1985. “Sex and Power in Interaction: Conversational Privileges and Duties.”American Sociological Review50:34-46.
12.
O'Barr
, William M. and Bowman K. Atkins. 1980. “`Women's Language' or `Powerless Language?'” Pp. 93-110 in Women and Language in Literature and Society, edited by Sally McConnell-Ginet, Ruth Borker, and Nelly Furman. New York: Praeger.
13.
Rasmussen, Jeffrey L.
and Barbara E. Moely.1986. “Impression Formation as a Function of Sex-Role Appropriateness of Linguistic Behavior.”Sex Roles14:149-61.
14.
Schein, Virginia E.1973. “The Relationship Between Sex-Role Stereotypes and Requisite Management Characteristics.”Journal of Applied Psychology57:95-100.
15.
Slevin, Kathleen E.
, and C. Ray Wingrove.1983. “Similarities and Differences Among Three Generations of Women in Attitudes Toward the Female Role in Contemporary Society.”Sex Roles9:609-24.
16.
Smith-Lovin, Lynn
and Charles Brody. 1986. “Interruptions in Group Discussions: The Effects of Sex and Group Composition.” Paper presented at the Southern Sociological Society Meetings.
17.
West, Candace
and Don H. Zimmerman.1977. “Women's Place in Everyday Talk: Reflections on Parent-Child Interactions.”Social Problems24:521-28.
18.
West, Candace
and Don H. Zimmerman. 1983. “Small Insults: A Study of Interruptions in Cross-Sex Conversations Between Unacquainted Persons.” Pp. 103-17 in Language, Gender, and Society, edited by Nancy Henley. Rowley, MA: Newbury.
19.
Wiley, Mary Glenn
and Arlene Eskilson.1985. “Speech Style, Gender Stereotypes, and Corporate Success: What If Women Talk More Like Men?”Sex Roles12:993-1007.
20.
Zimmerman, Don H.
and Candace West. 1975. “Sex Roles, Interruptions and Silences in Conversations.” Pp. 105-29 in Language and Sex: Difference and Dominance, edited by Barrie Thorne and Nancy Henley. Rowley, MA: Newbury.
