The effects of vocal participation and questioning behavior on perceptions of dominance

This study was designed to assess the relative effects of two types of communicative cues on perceptions of dominance. Stimulus tapes were constructed of two-person conversations in which the amount of vocal participation a speaker contributed and the type of question asked (closed-ended/open-ended) in the interaction were controlled. The results of a 3 x 2 x 2 (floor time by question type by speaker role) ANOVA revealed that (a) vocal participation is a stronger contributor to perceptions of dominance than either open-ended questions which manage the interaction or closed-ended questions which lead the respondent in a desired direction, and (b) closed-ended questions are seen as more dominant than open-ended questions. The results are discussed in terms of the monitoring demands the cues place on an observer.