A Bit More Bumble, Please
Um…
A startling new study finds that speech containing “um”, “er”, and other ineloquent blips is more effective than the perfect articulation politicians, broadcasters and public speakers, like, strive for.
In the study – which has since been replicated twice with virtually identical results – participants’ long-term memory of the words they heard was significantly increased when the speakers used ahhs, ums and the dreaded
…awkward pause! Evidently, a momentary pause or slight verbal fumble helps the listener stay focused. The scientists explain that a verbal hiccup serves as a psychological cue to the audience that they ought to pay attention, because an important thought is being formulated and is about to be delivered. In other words, we can all relax and give the worst Powerpoint presentations ever! (Just kidding.) The cool news here is that the human brain is powerfully attuned to the logic of natural thought processing and speech patterns.
Will public speaking coaches revise their smooth-move-McFly methods? And what of the sales of The Idiot’s Guide to Sounding Like a Canned Politician? Um, I can tell you right now, they’re gonna plummet. Obvious best-seller: How to Talk Like a Winner: Lessons from Dubya.
- Oh yeah! Via Fark
As to the study being conclusive, I think the jury’s still out on this one. The article has two “significant” quotes supporting either perspective:
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Top QC Donald Findlay said: “It’s completely the opposite of what I would have thought. If I hear someone uhming and ahing, I begin to lose concentration and start thinking ‘Oh come on, get on with it!’”
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Here’s the second quote:
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A spokesman for the Church of Scotland said: “This is an interesting piece of research. As far as public speaking is concerned, perhaps it is possible to be ‘too clever by half’.”
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I tend to support the first viewpoint, particularly if the body language of the speaker leads me to believe they’re making it up as they go along. However, an articulate speaker who has an interesting subject, pauses appropriately, enunciates and emphasizes effectively, and follows the basic principles of speech/debate delivery (which have been working just fine for decades, if not hundreds of years, by the way) will captivate me every time.
If I may add a couple of things to your post:
When people do the verbal breaks when speaking with grunts or whatever, statistically, they are not being completely honest.
Also, nervous before a public presentation? Take a blood pressure drug called a beta blocker about an hour before your talk. It steadies your voice and is a safe med.