Pamela Fishman’s Theory

·        Pamela Fishman conducted an experiment and involved listening to fifty-two hours of pre-recorded conversations between young American couples.

·        Five out of the six subjects were attending graduate school; all subjects were either feminists or sympathetic to the women’s movement, were white, between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-five.

·        She listened to recordings and concentrated on two characteristics common in women’s speech for example tag questions and the phrase “you know”.

·        She begins by examining the use of tag questions being asked and states that women frequently use tag questions ‘isn’t it?’ or ‘couldn’t we?’ following a thought or suggestion.

·        For females, questions are an effective method of beginning and keeping the conversation going with males.

·        She claims that questioning is required for females when speaking with males; men often do not respond to a declarative statement or will only respond minimally.

·        She also analyzes the frequent use of the phrase “you know” used by women. ”You know” is an attention-getting device to discover if the other person is listening.

·        With her study she found that women in her study used four times as many yes/no and tag questions as the men.

·        But she was adamant that this was not because women were more uncertain as Lakoff suggested but it was because women are the ones generally trying to keep the conversation going.

·        Fishman therefore concludes again that women’s style of communicating is not from lack of social training, but is because of the social position of women.