Have you ever noticed how people’s voices change when speaking to large crowds? This was a question that intrigued English and Communications Professor Chani Marchiselli, particularly how gender can play a role in these vocal changes. From this intrigue was born her research into the role of gender in elocution and public speaking.
Marchiselli focused her research on ex-entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes. Holmes was the creator of Theranos, a blood-testing device, but was charged with fraud in 2018 when it was discovered that these devices were inaccurate.
Marchiselli researched how the lower cadence used by Holmes in her speeches, as admitted by Holmes herself, affected her ability to convince a wider audience of her fraud. She looks at the role of speaking and gender in speech giving. Male and female speakers alike use different manners of elocution in public setting, but ultimately Marchiselli determined that many women in positions of power lower their cadence to emulate more popular male speech patterns. In the case of Holmes, this behavior went unquestioned until the moment her fraud was publicized.
This research provides insight into the speech patterns of public figures and the role of gender therein. It also gives a look into one of the many reasons for the immense success of Holmes in her scheme.
Marchiselli presented this research at the 11th annual Celebration of Research and Scholarship. This research is published in the journal Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies, available in the Geisel Library. Professor Marchiselli plans to expand this research to include mid-century corporate address styles and their influence on ideas about eloquence.