David Richardson
Effects of Filler Words on Perceived
Speech Quality
Contrary to what some might consider taboo in public speaking, the use of filler words, such as "um" or "like," etc., by a speaker, may not be so inappropriate to the point of negatively affecting their standing in a public setting. According to David Richardson's research on the perception listeners have while listening to a speech, "descriptive ratings of the speakers did not seem to be negatively affected by his use of filler words." Actually, Richardson found that "in the case of comfort and humility, filler words resulted in a positive affect on audience perception" of the speaker.
Richardson, now a graduate of Brigham Young University–Hawaii, looks back on his research with satisfaction. He says that presenting his project at the Empower Your Dreams event was "one of the proudest moments" of his life. When deciding on the subject he wanted to research, he settled upon the hypothesis on display here because it was a subject he felt genuinely interested in. This helped him to stay motivated and have a love for his work.
Richardson's work has enabled him to develop confidence in his own abilities to stay disciplined in a structured program. In his future career, Richardson says he knows that his research helped him to gain skills necessary in making important decisions, and specifically, to remember to include filler words in any future presentations, as those types of speeches tend to leave a positive impact upon listeners.
Richardson, now a graduate of Brigham Young University–Hawaii, looks back on his research with satisfaction. He says that presenting his project at the Empower Your Dreams event was "one of the proudest moments" of his life. When deciding on the subject he wanted to research, he settled upon the hypothesis on display here because it was a subject he felt genuinely interested in. This helped him to stay motivated and have a love for his work.
Richardson's work has enabled him to develop confidence in his own abilities to stay disciplined in a structured program. In his future career, Richardson says he knows that his research helped him to gain skills necessary in making important decisions, and specifically, to remember to include filler words in any future presentations, as those types of speeches tend to leave a positive impact upon listeners.
David's project poster can be viewed in more detail here.
Article by Kyle Evan Madsen
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