Reexamining the Use of Tentative Language in Emails: The Effects of Gender Salience and Gender Typicality

Abstract

Drawing on self-categorization theory, the current study examines the effects of gender salience and interlocutor gender typicality on men and women’s use of tentative language in emails. We conducted an experiment manipulating identity salience using gender-stereotypic conversation topics, and typicality using biographies of the fictitious female interlocutor. The results were consistent with self-categorization theory and previous research on gender-based language use: Men were more tentative when discussing a conversation topic in which their gender group was not considered experts. More important, interlocutor gender typicality influenced participants’ tentative language, such that when the interlocutor was a typical woman, men and women became more tentative discussing a conversation topic in which they were not considered experts. This study has implications for future research on the contextual factors that may influence the use of language in both intragroup and intergroup communication.