Non-Linguistic Factors in Oral Language Productivity

Abstract

Individual differences in oral language productivity were assessed by word counts of Ss' spoken descriptions of 9 different visual displays. Women attained higher word counts than men in 8 of their 9 descriptions, in 3 instances to a statistically significant extent. Individual differences in oral language productivity showed a moderately high degree of stability across situations. The pattern of correlations between oral language productivity and personality variables differed in the samples of men and women. The sex-specific and situation-specific role of personality variables in oral language productivity is illustrated and discussed.