Strategies for Responding to Background Nonverbal Disparagement in Televised Political Debates: Effects on Audience Perceptions of Argument Skill and Appropriateness

Authors

Harry Weger Jr.
John S. Seiter, Utah State UniversityFollow
Kimberly A. Jacobs
Valerie Akbulut

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Argumentation and Advocacy

Volume

47

Issue

1

Publisher

American Forensic Association

Publication Date

2010

First Page

39

Last Page

54

Abstract

412 participants watched a purported televised political debate between candidates for mayor. In each of six versions, one debater engaged in strong nonverbal disagreement during his opponent’s opening statement. The opponent then responded with one of six decreasingly polite attempts to stop the debater from engaging in the nonverbal behavior. Direct, but not personally attacking, responses resulted in higher levels of perceived argumentation effectiveness and appropriateness when compared to not responding to the nonverbal behavior.

Comments

*undergraduate student; **graduate student

Recommended Citation

Weger, H., Jr., Seiter, J. S., *Jacobs, K. A., & **Akbulut, V. (2010). Strategies for Responding to Background Nonverbal Disparagement in Televised Political Debates: Effects on Audience Perceptions of Argument Skill and Appropriateness. Argumentation and Advocacy, 47 (1), 39-54.