Feminine language strategies as effective persuasion techniques for online technical editors

This study of 70 Epinions.com Advisor comments on 58 product reviews examined the language strategies Advisors used in updated and non-updated reviews. Out of 30 Advisor comments on updated reviews, 20 (66%) contained hedges (a feminine language strategy); out of 40 comments on non-updated reviews, only 13 (33%) contained hedges. Conversely, only 2 (8%) comments on updated reviews contained commanding language, and 4 comments (12%) contained direct advice (masculine language strategies). Comments on non-updated reviews contained 8 (20%) instances of commanding language and 14 (35%) instances of direct advice respectively. This ongoing study suggests that using masculine language strategies in online editorial comments reduces the likelihood that the writer will update (i.e., edit), while hedged language increases this likelihood.