How to pause in charismatic speeches: A case study of Barack Obama

Abstract

Pauses are well-known to augment speakers' persuasiveness and charisma, yet their effective implementation may go far beyond the standard technique of pausing frequently, prolonging the pauses, and distributing them skillfully. This case study explores how seasoned speakers employ specific phonetic and visual strategies around-and during-turn-internal pauses for maximum effect. In a highly persuasive speech, Barack Obama, the former president of the United States and a charismatic presenter, demonstrated systematic use of two distinct pause type categories, out of which the most prominent were post-message pauses that featured (i) extreme pause durations that were paired with reflective facial gestures, (ii) steep pitch and intensity fall slopes right before the pause, and (iii) complete lack of phrase-final lengthening in the pre-pause speech material, which may be perceived by the listener as an increased speech rate before the pause. We speculate that the visual means invite the audience to be part of the contemplative process, while the extreme prosodic contrasts and the resulting abruptness signal the speaker's intention to convey charisma and related traits like self-confidence.