44 - A study on the difference between "we" and "you" in scripts
The Credibility Minute · Jen deHaan
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Show Notes
Stanford researchers analyzed 272,000 comments on Reddit to determine what makes text persuasive versus inflammatory. The decisive factor was often a simple choice of pronouns.
Posts using "we" and "our" saw higher engagement and fewer moderator removals because they signaled a collective experience. However, posts using "you" and "your" were perceived as aggressive and less trustworthy because they placed responsibility (and often blame) onto the reader. This affects how we can approach scripts or style of speaking in our episodes and shows.
In this micro-episode:
- The link between pronouns and online engagement
- Why "you" creates distance while "we" builds community
- A simple rule for when to use collective vs. direct language
Resources:
The reddit study: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/yes-we-can-swapping-pronouns-can-make-messages-more-persuasive
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