Rhyme-as-reason effect
The rhyme-as-reason effect describes a cognitive bias in which statements, especially aphorisms , are regarded as more appropriate and true if they are rhymed .
Accepted theory for deriving the Rhyme-as-reason effect is the " Keats - heuristic " (to the British poet John Keats ), in the subjective aesthetic formulations (for example, using a rhyme scheme as formed sentences) rather applicable are classified. If the " Fluency heuristic " (from English fluent = liquid ) taken as a basis, are rhymes preferred because they can be processed faster than comparable non-rhyming formulations. This faster, more fluid, or smoother processed thought object gives a sentence fundamentally higher value - even if there is obviously no discernible logical or applied value conveyed in the statement.
experiment
The following experiment was intended to examine the influence of rhymes on credibility. First of all, aphorisms were sought which rhyme, contain advice or describe human behavior and are rather unknown. Two further variants were created for each saying by replacing one of the rhyming words with a synonym so that it no longer rhymes, but the meaning is retained.
- What sobriety conceals, alcohol reveals. (In German, for example: what hides sobriety is revealed by alcohol.)
- What sobriety obscures, alcohol reveals.
- What sobriety conceals, alcohol unmasks.
The sayings were presented individually in their variants and rated by the participants according to their comprehensibility and the accuracy with which they describe reality. While there were no differences between the rhyming and non-rhyming variants in terms of intelligibility, the rhyming variants were judged to be more accurate describing reality.
Differentiation from rhetorical figures
The rhyme-as-reason effect occurs when two equivalent, meaningful statements are in competition and declares that the statement that rhymes is perceived as more valid. It can be seen as one of the factors rhetorically using stylistic figures such as paronomasia .
Examples of paronomas
The statement of the lawyer Johnnie Cochran became known , who shaped the defense of OJ Simpson with If it doesn't fit, you must acquit .
- Picking cherries is good with the sun behind you.
- Better a dog on a leash than a stable without pigs.
- An apple a day keeps the doctor away. ( An apple a day keeps the doctor away. )
- Great spenders are bad lenders. (For example, someone who is good at spending [money] is usually a bad lender. )
See also
literature
- Petra Filkuková, Sven Hroar Klempe: Rhyme as reason in commercial and social advertising . In: Scandinavian Journal of Psychology . tape 54 , no. 5 , July 10, 2013, ISSN 1467-9450 , p. 423-431 , doi : 10.1111 / sjop.12069 , PMID 23841497 (English).
Individual evidence
- ↑ Office Psychology - How to calm down gossips and blasphemers . Spiegel online , March 23, 2014. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
- ↑ a b Matthew S. McGlone, Jessica Tofighbakhsh: The Keats heuristic: Rhyme as reasonable in aphorism interpretation . In: Poetics , 1999, Vol 26, Issue 4.