How Personal Pronouns Shape Persuasion

ABSTRACT Communication often involves personal pronouns. Consumers, for example, frequently say “ I love this restaurant” or “ you 'll enjoy those shoes.” How do first‐person (e.g., I) and second‐person (e.g., you) singular pronouns shape persuasion? Are communicators correct about which ones are more effective? Seven studies demonstrate an important misprediction. While communicators think that second‐person singular pronouns will be more persuasive, first‐person singular pronouns are actually more impactful. Further, the studies demonstrate the underlying mechanisms behind these effects. While communicators think second‐person singular pronouns will increase persuasion because they take the audience's perspective, second‐person singular pronouns actually reduce persuasion because they encourage reactance. These findings highlight the important impact of ubiquitous language features, deepen understanding around drivers of reactance, and have important implications for communicators who want to increase their impact.