Abstract
The time required for the mental solution of addition problems is much greater if the subject fills the pause with vocalization habitually used to fill pauses in speaking (e.g.: ah, er, um), than if the pause is filled with silence. This supports previous results of Goldman-Eisler with thematic materials. Practice reduces solution time under both filled and unfilled pauses by an identical proportion whose magnitude varies from subject to subject. It is argued that filled pauses serve antagonistic functions, increasing the speakers control of conversation, but decreasing the quality of his production; filled pauses in speech without an audience may serve an analogous function of controlling distractions introduced by anxiety.
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