Abstract
This paper presents the empirical backing, theoretical backing, methodologies, and results of a study looking at trends in the use of various auditory phenomena and prosodic patterns of speech used in American television advertisements. The age of targeted audiences, various categories of products, services, or causes featured in ads, and time length of television ads all proved to be significant factors in dictating how a television advertisement is designed to effectively persuade consumers to invest in featured phenomena. Additionally, a descriptive analysis of prosodic features of speech revealed trends in an informative style of speech implemented in many ads, a dialect of American English that I am calling Informative-Persuasive Voice Persona, or IPVP. These findings indicate that human thought and behavior may be more influenced by sound than we are currently aware of, and thus that research and regulation regarding the strategic use of prosodic patterns of speech apparent in television advertising should be considered by policymakers looking to preserve communicative quality in American culture as well as other cultures that speak English.
Advisor
Nurse, Anne
Department
Sociology and Anthropology
Recommended Citation
Francis, Alexandra, "The Orchestration of Persuasion: An Analysis of the Audible and Prosodic Features of American Television Ads" (2013). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 1151.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/1151
Disciplines
Linguistic Anthropology
Publication Date
2013
Degree Granted
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type
Senior Independent Study Thesis
© Copyright 2013 Alexandra Francis