Researchers from the Cardiff University conducted a study on teenage children and whether they were more likely to listen to their mother if she was controlling or if she was not. The research showed that teenagers were more easily persuaded to co-operate with their mothers when the parent sounded “supportive” rather than when they applied pressure.
This research was interesting because in terms of young people’s behavior nobody has really analyzed the impact of “tone of voice”, rather than the words or actions of parents. Upon examining the results from the responses of 14 and 15-year-olds given instructions in different ways of speaking, they found that “mothers who talk to their teenage children in a controlling tone of voice are more likely to start an argument than get a positive response.” Furthermore, they are less likely to cooperate and put effort into their mother’s requests if their mothers use a controlling tone. The research has been published in the journal Developmental Psychology.
Lead author of the study Dr. Netta Weinstein, from Cardiff University, said:
If parents want conversations with their teens to have the most benefit, it’s important to remember to use supportive tones of voice. It’s easy for parents to forget, especially if they are feeling stressed, tired, or pressured themselves.
This is because speaking to a teenager in a pressurizing tone is also accompanied by a range of negative emotions and less feelings of closeness. Speaking to them in a calm tone, on the other hand, is accompanied by positive emotions and an increasing of closeness.
When a mother tries to pressurize a teenager, she’ll only cause a counter-productive effect and create a negative response. Yet, if a neutral voice is used, the reaction will also be broadly neutral, meaning the teenager will neither be motivated nor defensive. However, a warmer more “supportive” tone of voice that is encouraging rather than confronting is the most successful way of getting teenagers to carry out the request.
Co-author of the study Professor Silke Paulmann, of the University of Essex, said:
These results nicely illustrate how powerful our voice is and that choosing the right tone to communicate is crucial in all of our conversations.
The Experimental Study
- Over 1000 adolescents (486 males and 514 females) aged 14-15 participated.
- They were all subjected to the same instructions delivered in different tones. The point was to see if the teen’s response changed depending on the tone of voice when receiving instructions from their mothers, even when the specific words that are used are exactly the same.
- Each of the participants was randomly assigned to groups that would hear identical messages delivered by mothers of adolescents in either a controlling, autonomy-supportive, or neutral tone of voice. They used classic set-piece family arguments – for example, trying to get a teenager to do their homework or to get ready for school in the morning.
- When this phase of the experiment was over, each participant undertook a survey where they had to answer questions about how they would feel if their own mother had spoken to them in that particular way.
The Results
- The tone of voice used by mothers can significantly impact teenagers’ emotional, relational, and behavioral intention responses. Overall, the participants were much more likely to engage with instructions that “conveyed a sense of encouragement and support for self-expression and choice.”
Conclusion
The results of this study are of relevance to parents and schoolteachers alike. If teachers use more motivational language in a calm tone it could impact the learning and well-being of students in their classrooms.
Dr. Weinstein said:
Adolescents likely feel more cared about and happier, and as a result, they try harder at school, when parents and teachers speak in supportive rather than pressuring tones of voice.
The researchers plan to continue this study but by taking it a step further. They will now investigate how tone of voice can impact physiological responses, such as heart rates or skin conductance responses, and how long lasting these effects may be.
