Verbal Behavior and Personality AssessmentMeThe pronoun me, the grammatical recipient of action, tends to be
used most by passive speakers, such as children, women, elderly peo-
ple, and certain patient groups (Weintraub 1989, 12). When
attacked, Bill Clinton is apt to adopt the role of victim and will use
the pronoun me quite frequently.
NegativesThe most common examples of the use of the negative category are
not, never, and nothing. Speakers who use many negatives tend to be
oppositional and stubborn. They may also be using the coping mech-
anisms of negation and denial excessively. In my study of the Water-
gate transcripts, I reported that H. R. Haldeman, known in Wash-
ington political circles as the "Abominable No-Man," used negatives
significantly more frequently than the other Watergate conspirators
(Weintraub 1981, 124).
Explainers
The category of explainers includes words and expressions that sug-
gest causal connections or justification of the speaker's thoughts and
actions. The most common explainer is because. Other frequently
used explainers include therefore and since. Speakers who use many
explainers have a didactic, apologetic, or rationalizing verbal style
(Lorenz 1953). Those who use few explainers may be seen as categor-
ical and dogmatic. Part of Hillary Clinton's didactic speaking style
is due to her frequent use of explainers.Expressions of Feeling
All clauses in which the speaker attributes feelings to himself or her-
self are scored. Examples are "I like to work outdoors" and "Jack's
behavior frustrates me." High expressions of feeling scores are often
associated in the listener's mind with the expression of emotion
(Weintraub 1989, 49—72). (As explained later, expressions of feeling
is not the only category associated with emotional speaking). Low
expressions of feeling scores reflect an aloof, cool verbal style. Ronald
Reagan's cool, unflappable speaking style was due, in part, to his
infrequent use of expressions of feeling.