Babble hypothesis

In psycholinguistics and leadership studies, the babble hypothesis (demonstratively labeled the babble effect) is a conjecture that posits a strong correlation between the amount or quantity of speaking time an individual has in group settings and their likelihood of emerging as a leader, as commonly opposed to quality of speech.[1][2] According to the hypothesis, individuals who contribute more verbal input during group interactions are more likely to be perceived and recognized as leaders.

History of study

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A 2020 study, tested the babble hypothesis.[2] In it, diverse groups of participants were observed in challenging strategy games, with measurement of both speaking time and the substance of their utterances. The study confirmed that speaking time had the highest correlation with leadership emergence, surpassing other factors such as intelligence, agreeableness, and game proficiency. The study also noted the secondary influence of gender.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Mast, Marianne Schmid; Hall, Judith A. (2004-09-01). "Who Is the Boss and Who Is Not? Accuracy of Judging Status". Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 28 (3): 145–165. doi:10.1023/B:JONB.0000039647.94190.21. ISSN 1573-3653.
  2. ^ a b MacLaren, Neil G.; Yammarino, Francis J.; Dionne, Shelley D.; Sayama, Hiroki; Mumford, Michael D.; Connelly, Shane; Martin, Robert W.; Mulhearn, Tyler J.; Todd, E. Michelle; Kulkarni, Ankita; Cao, Yiding; Ruark, Gregory A. (2020-10-01). "Testing the babble hypothesis: Speaking time predicts leader emergence in small groups". The Leadership Quarterly. 31 (5): 101409. doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2020.101409. ISSN 1048-9843.