Pause and pitch: the influence on political candidates’ perceived integrity

Abstract

This study evaluates speech pause as a stimulus that influences voters’ perception of a political candidate. Previous research has explored how speech attributes like pitch influence voters’ perception of integrity. However, the existing studies overlook interphase pauses as a key component in communication. In a between-groups experiment, we manipulated the interphase pauses in a speech given by four mock political candidates and evaluated the effect on voters’ perception of the candidates’ integrity. The results suggest that interphase pauses influence the perception of a leader’s integrity, but the candidates’ pitch moderates the effect. Specifically, candidates with a low-pitched voice are perceived as more integral if they use short interphase pauses, whereas candidates with a high-pitched voice may benefit from making natural pauses (0.5 seconds). This is the first study to evaluate how speech pause may influence the perception of integrity. The findings are relevant for designing strategic political campaigns and overall communications through a spokesperson.