When Silence Speaks: How the Pauses between Speakers’ Turns Shape Conversational Meaning

We explore how pauses between conversational turns influence the perceived sincerity of responses to socially-loaded questions. In three participant groups, longer pauses reduced perceived sincerity, with non-native speakers more tolerant and older native-speaking adults more sensitive to timing than young native-speakers. The findings underscore pauses’ role in shaping conversational meaning.