How Bureaucratic Writing Style Affects Source Credibility

Abstract

This study examines whether bureaucratic writing style affects readers' perception of source credibility. The experiment required 172 college students to read bureaucratic and simple writing and to rate their impressions of the author and the writing quality. Results indicate that the subjects rated the author of the bureaucratic style higher in expertise, but not significantly different from the author of the simple style in trustworthiness and open-mindedness. Source occupational status was not a necessary condition for the perceived differences in credibility. The differences in expertise ratings were significantly greater for readers with more years of schooling. However, the subjects consistently preferred the simple to the bureaucratic writing.