Acoustic Markers of Political Power

The effect of political power on acoustic variables was examined in three political speeches given by François Mitterrand at different periods of his career. F ₀ data were not found to reflect the extent of Mitterrand's power. On the other hand, temporal organization appeared to mirror the politician's distance from power. When Mitterrand was both a challenger and an opponent, articulation rate was more rapid, while in the two Presidential speeches, he showed a slower articulation rate, which seems to be a feature of power. The pause structure appeared to reflect the place of the politician within the social hierarchy in such a way that, the higher the status, the longer and the more frequent the pauses. There seems to be a balance between what is being said and what is left unsaid: Silence becomes a power symbol.