Properties of Spoken Persuasive Language Samples From Typically Developing Adolescents

Area of Science:

• Linguistics
• Developmental Psychology
• Speech-Language Pathology

Background:

• Persuasive communication is crucial for academic, professional, and social success.
• Assessing persuasive discourse in adolescents requires specialized tools.
• Previous methods for evaluating persuasive language skills were limited in clinical feasibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a clinically feasible protocol for assessing persuasive speaking skills in adolescents.
• To create a database of language samples for analyzing persuasive discourse properties.
• To establish benchmarks for evaluating persuasive language abilities in typically developing students.

Main Methods:

• Collected spoken language samples from 179 typically developing students (Grades 8-12) in the US and Australia.
• Participants were instructed to persuade an authority figure to enact a policy change.
• Analyzed language performance using microstructural and macrostructural properties, including factor analysis of syntax, discourse difficulties, and content.

Main Results:

• Summarized language performance data by grade level.
• Identified three latent variables: syntax, discourse difficulties, and content.
• Demonstrated weak to moderate correlations between persuasive measures, general language ability, and working memory, with no significant link to personality traits.

Conclusions:

• The developed persuasive language sampling protocol is clinically feasible and yields valid performance data.
• The collected data serve as valuable benchmarks for clinical assessments of adolescents with suspected language impairments.
• This research provides a foundation for improved evaluation of persuasive communication skills in youth.