Lesson plan
Mitigated speech
Mitigated speech is a linguistic term describing deferential or indirect speech inherent in communication between individuals of perceived High Power Distance which has been in use for at least two decades with many published references. The term was popularized by Canadian author Malcolm Gladwell in his book, Outliers, where he defines mitigated speech as "any attempt to downplay or sugarcoat the meaning of what is being said". He continues with reference to Fischer and Orasanu, to describe 6 degrees of mitigation with which we make suggestions to authority: # Command – "Strategy X is going to be implemented" # Team Obligation Statement – "We need to try strategy X" # Team Suggestion – "Why don't we try strategy X?" # Query – "Do you think strategy X would help us in this situation?" # Preference – "Perhaps we should take a look at one of these Y alternatives" # Hint – "I wonder if we could run into any roadblocks on our current course" Gladwell brings up the concept in the context of how crews relate to each other in the cockpit of a commercial airliner, graphically illustrating the degree to which mitigated speech can be detrimental in high-risk situations which require clear communication.
Article summary
Mitigated speech is a linguistic term describing deferential or indirect speech inherent in communication between individuals of perceived High Power Distance which has been in use for at least two decades with many published references. The term was popularized by Canadian author Malcolm Gladwell in his book, Outliers, where he defines mitigated speech as "any attempt to downplay or sugarcoat the meaning of what is being said". He continues with reference to Fischer and Orasanu, to describe 6 degrees of mitigation with which we make suggestions to authority: # Command – "Strategy X is going to be implemented" # Team Obligation Statement – "We need to try strategy X" # Team Suggestion – "Why don't we try strategy X?" # Query – "Do you think strategy X would help us in this situation?" # Preference – "Perhaps we should take a look at one of these Y alternatives" # Hint – "I wonder if we could run into any roadblocks on our current course" Gladwell brings up the concept in the context of how crews relate to each other in the cockpit of a commercial airliner, graphically illustrating the degree to which mitigated speech can be detrimental in high-risk situations which require clear communication.
Key claims
No claims recorded.
Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.