Abstract

This study examines the relationship between interpersonal communication skills and the ratings of talk show hosts. The two talk show hosts that were examined were Rosie O'Donnell and Oprah Winfrey. There were a total of twenty interviews that were analyzed for the study. The result suggested that there is, in fact, a correlation between high interpersonal skills and high talk show host ratings.

The Effect of Interpersonal Communication Skills on Ratings of Talk Show Hosts: Rosie O'Donnell and Oprah Winfrey

Over a period of decades, audiences from various ages have been captivated by the world of television talk shows. With abilities beyond the normal, a talk show host can stimulate and capture the minds of the general populace. However, as in all things, talk shows have ratings that measure their success in attracting an audience. What is the appeal of television personalities that enable them to be as successful as they are?

The appeal is not so much physical as emotional. How the talk show host connects with his or her audience is where the appeal lies. This connection is accomplished through various forms of social/interpersonal skills. According to Hargie (1986), "social skills are the skills employed when interacting at a personal level with other people" (p.10). He points out that this definition of social skills is very narrow and to better understand the meaning we must comprehend the core dimensions of social skills, which are: 1.) "Socially skilled behaviors are goal directed and intentional", 2.) "Socially skilled behaviors are interrelated", 3.) "Social skills must be appropriate to the situation in which they are employed", 4.) "Social skills are defined in terms of identifiable units of behavior which the individual displays", 5.) "Social skills are comprised of behaviors which can be learned", 6.) Social skill is the "degree of cognitive control which the individual has over his or her behavior" (p.13). To say that social skills are intentional means that the skills are pre-selected by the individual to help achieve their goal. Social skills are interrelated in that they are all working together to reach a common goal. The vernacular of a situation deems which social skills are appropriate to utilize.

Social skills lay the foundation for effective communication. Effective communication, according to Tubbs and Moss (1977), is when the receiver of the message perceives the meaning of the message as close as possible to what the sender intended the meaning to be. They go even further into the communication process by emphasizing the responsibility of both the speaker and listener within the interpersonal relationship. An enormous amount of research has been conducted on communication and the interpersonal influence that individuals attempt to achieve throughout the communication process. Seibold, Cantrill and Meyers point out that, "It is not unwonted to view interpersonal communication, at least partly and under specific conditions, as a person's symbolic interactions strategically controlled in the pursuit of personal objectives" (as cited in Knapp & Miller (Eds.), 1994, p. 542).

Tubbs and Moss also discuss the process of interpersonal communication within interviews; more specifically they focus on the entertainment world of interviews. They state that there are ten objectives to the interviewing process, which are: getting information, giving information, persuading, problem solving, counseling, job seeking or hiring, receiving complaints, reviewing performance, correcting or reprimanding, and measuring stress (Tubbs & Moss, 1977, p.245). The means for these ten objectives is to establish a bond with the speaker's audience.

Leeds (2000) places an emphasis on the importance of "human moments", where people take the time to interact with each other face to face. She also states that although technology may be changing the way in which we communicate, the reason why we communicate forever remains the same. The reason why humans communicate, according to Leeds, is that humans need and desire information, and in order to obtain the information we need to know what questions to ask. Leeds goes as far as saying that the art of communication is in the questions we ask. The type of questions that enable the respondent/interviewee to open up on a more personal level with the interviewer should be the main goal. She discusses a topic called the "let's talk about me factor", which almost never fails when trying to get a shy individual to open up during an interview (Leeds, 2000, p.113). Talking about yourself is the easiest and probably the most popular topic humans enjoy communicating about for several reasons: 1.) It is the topic we are most familiar with, 2.) We need to share our burdens and problems with other people, 3.) We are attempting to get a particular message across, 4.) We rather talk about something than to remain in the discomfort of silence. She also provides the interviewer with an understanding of why it takes some people longer to open themselves up than others, which include: 1.) the fear of being judged by others, 2.) past experiences of being hurt that creates a shield of skepticism, 3.) the fear of being penalized for being truthful, 4.) the fear that personal ideas will go unnoticed and unappreciated, 5.) not really understanding what the problem is that the interviewee is experiencing; therefore, he/she is not able to express their feelings clearly to the interviewer (Leeds, 2000, p.119).

Making the audience feel that the speaker is communicating on an interpersonal level requires more than just an understanding of the audience; it also requires a high level of interpersonal skills. The definition of a high level of interpersonal communication, according to Devito (1998), is effective communication between small groups of people regarding a personal nature. To reach this high level of communication, one must possess a large amount of interpersonal skill that enables the individual to be a more effective communicator. These skills are listed as follows: 1.) Openness - the ability to self-disclose and to honestly react to others within the communication experience, 2.) Empathy - is the ability to feel as the other feels, to experience what the other person is experiencing from that person's point of view without losing your identity, 3.) Supportiveness - is the ability use descriptive communication and the willingness to listen and even adhere, if applicable, to all points of view within the communication experience, 4.) Positiveness - the ability to express positive attitudes to both one's self and the other individual, 5.) Equality - is the ability to realize the importance of both parties within the communication process and therefore show respect by sharing the floor of communication, 6.) Confidence - is the ability to feel relaxed and comfortable within the communication experience as well as the ability to control nervousness and shyness, 7.) Immediacy - is the ability to provide a feeling of closeness and interest within the communication process, 8.) Interaction management - is the ability to manage the communication process so that all parties feel satisfied and comfortable; such as turn-taking within the conversation, 9) Expressiveness- is the ability to express oneself both verbally and nonverbally so as to show their involvement within the conversation, 10.) Other orientation - is the ability to portray within the communication process the idea of interest and concern for what the other person is communicating (Devito, 1998, p. 153).

Effective interpersonal communication is to simply minimize misunderstandings and the ability to adapt to a given environment. As Gudykunst and Hall point out, "Adaptation is a consequence of an ongoing process in which a system strives to adjust and readjust itself to challenges, changes, and irritants in the environment" (as cited in Daly & Wiemann (Eds.), 1994, p. 227). In order to lessen the misunderstandings within interpersonal relationship, knowledge and perception of both the behavior of oneself and others are necessary. Gudykunst and Hall go even further by saying that our self-conceptions impact the way in which we communicate with others, both consciously and unconsciously. We derive our self-concepts through social comparisons. Therefore, we feel more comfortable communicating with those that are similar to ourselves because they will be better able to verify our own self concepts than those that are from a different group (Daly & Wiemann [Eds.], 1994). Understanding the differences of others and the ability to communicate to individuals regardless of their ethnicity or group membership is essential for being an effective communicator.

One of the most important characteristics of being an effective communicator is the skill of empathy. Bullmer (1975) describes interpersonal perception as a "...process by which we form an impression of another individual" (p.5). He also notes that it is important for people who cherish their interpersonal relationships to try to obtain a high level of "interpersonal perceptual skill", but he goes even further by saying that it is crucial for individuals in the professional world to master the interpersonal perceptual skill (Bullmer, 1975, p.6). The individuals who maintain a high level of interpersonal perceptual skills, according to Bullmer, are considered to be "empathic perceivers". An empathic perceiver not only feels what others are feeling, but understands why they are feeling in such a way. Bullmer's goal, in his study, is to help individuals become empathic perceivers. To him being an empathetic person is not only a skill that is inherent, but also is one that can be learned.

Most talk show hosts not only have the natural ability to interact on an interpersonal level but they also have learned through experience and study on their own part on how to produce the wanted and desired ends to what they are seeking from their interviews. Two of the most famous female talk show hosts that the researcher will be focusing on for this study are Oprah Winfrey and Rosie O'Donnell. To better understand their present success, a examination of their past experiences are essential.

Oprah Winfrey was born in Kosciusko, Mississippi, in 1954. She had a rather difficult childhood, which included being sexually abused by relatives and moving from home to home. For the first six years of her life she lived with her grandmother. Then she moved in with her mother for a few years and finally ended up living with her father in Nashville, Tennessee. Around the age of thirteen, Oprah began to really turn her life around by devoting all of her energy to her studies. Her hard work and dedication paid off as she won a scholarship to attend Tennessee State University. In 1972, Oprah became the first African American woman to anchor a newscast in Nashville at WTVF-TV. After she had graduated from college, she worked as a reporter for WJZ-TV in Baltimore. A year later, she took the position as a co-host of the morning show, People Are Talking. In 1984 Oprah was offered a position as the host of A.M. Chicago. Eventually A.M. Chicago was renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show. From this point on, Oprah only knew success. She starred in various television and movie roles and her talk show became nationally syndicated. Oprah Winfrey's talk show has been the highest rated talk show in American history and continues to remain on top. Although Oprah's background did not seem to be to promising to begin with, she was able to use her own humble experiences along with her natural abilities and hard work to become the success that she is today (Pagewise, 2001).

The other talk show host that the researcher is focusing on for this study is Rosie O'Donnell. Rosie was born in Commack, New York in 1962. She faced her own trials and misfortunes within her life. Her mother died of cancer when she was ten years old. Her father, shocked by his wife's death, was unprepared emotionally to deal with the responsibility of raising five children alone. Rosie became detached from her father and began to immerse herself in television shows. She attended college at both Dickson College and Boston University, but had dropped out to pursue her dream of having a career in comedy. She toured various comedy clubs and became a five-time star champion on the television show "Star Search". Rosie landed a few television and movie roles as well, over the course of the years. Then in 1996, Rosie first aired her talk show, "The Rosie O'Donnell Show". For the past six years Rosie has been a success with her talk show and is rated in the top ten talk show hosts of all time. Her ability to communicate with others on an interpersonal level by making her audience feel that they are her best friends has been a trademark that has enabled Rosie to make it to the top and stay there (Pagewise, 2001).

This study will examine these two talk show hosts and their ability to utilize interpersonal skills to effectively communicate within their interviews. The researcher will look into the various characteristics of interpersonal skills that are essential for effective communication and how these talk show hosts rate according to a panel of judges. The overall goal of this research is to find whether there is a bearing on the shows' ratings by a correlation of effective communication between two of the most popular female talk show hosts and their guests.

Methodology

Population

The population for the study consisted of a total of ten talk shows that were taped during a period of two weeks on weekdays. The researcher focused on two different talk show hosts, Rosie O'Donnell and Oprah Winfrey. For each of these two talk show hosts, five different talk shows were recorded.

Materials

A data sheet was constructed that included ten different areas within interpersonal communication that have been commonly agreed upon among numerous researchers to be essential for displaying a high level of interpersonal skills. These ten elements of interpersonal communication are: 1.) Openness, 2.) Empathy, 3.) Supportiveness, 4.) Positiveness, 5.) Equality, 6.) Confidence, 7.) Immediacy, 8.) Interaction management, 9.) Expressiveness, 10.) Other orientation. These characteristics of an effective communicator were judged on a continuum, meaning that for each of these ten positive characteristics there were given ten negative characteristics that defined the opposite of an effective communicator. These ten negative characteristics that represented the end of the continuum are: 1.) Closedness, 2.) Self consumed, 3.) Criticism, 4.) Negativeness, 5.) Inequality, 6.) Anxious/Nervous, 7.) Indifference, 8.) Ignorance, 9.) Non-involvement, 10.) Inconsideration/non-attentiveness.

Procedure

Each of the selected shows was edited to show only the first five minutes of each individual interview within the talk show. Since Oprah tended to have one to two more interviews per show than Rosie, only two different interviews for each talk show host per talk show were examined. There were a total of 20 interviews that were examined in this study.

The researcher chose six different individuals to analyze the edited version of the talk shows. These six subjects that were chosen were all college students from Western Connecticut State University, and ranged in age from 20 to 26 years old. Out of these six subjects, four were female and two were male.

The subjects analyzed and rated the effectiveness of the talk show host during each interview based on the data sheet mentioned above. Each of the ten characteristics of interpersonal skills on the data sheet were based on a scale from 1 to 5, number 5 being the best score for high interpersonal skills and number 1 being the worst. After the analysis aspect of the research was completed, the scores were then tallied and compared with both one another and also to the overall perfect score.

Results

Final Results for Oprah:

This graph portrays an overall average of the interpersonal skill ratings for Oprah Winfrey for both the male and female subjects that were administered the test. Oprah's final score was 3.9 out of 5, 5 being the perfect score. Out of the ten different interviews under analysis, Oprah scored a 3.99 in the area of Openness, 4.05 for Empathy, 4.03 for Supportiveness, 3.81 for Positiveness, 3.78 for Equality, 3.95 for Confidence, 3.87 for Immediacy, 3.85 for Interaction Management, 4.01 for Expressiveness, and 3.97 for Other Orientation.

Oprah Results from a Male Perspective:

The two male subjects that participated in this study were analyzed separately from the four female subjects in order to understand if gender has an affect on the ratings given. According to the results there seems to be a slight difference in the way that male and female subjects interpreted the levels of interpersonal skills for the analysis of Oprah Winfrey. The male subjects scored an average of 3.895, which was .072 of a point less than the females. The males rated Oprah Winfrey higher than the females in the areas of Openness, Empathy, Positiveness, Equality, and Other Orientation. The females gave higher ratings to Oprah for the other five interpersonal skills, which are: Supportiveness, Confidence, Immediacy, Interaction Management, and Expressiveness. The female subjects scored an average of 3.967 for the overall interpersonal skills of Oprah Winfrey.

Final Results for Rosie:

The overall combined results of both the male and female subjects for the analysis of Rosie O'Donnell's interpersonal skills can be located on this graph. The final score administered to Rosie O'Donnell was a 4.118 and had the higher score out of the two talk show hosts. Rosie's score was approximately 0.187 of one point higher than Oprah's score. Nine out of the ten interpersonal skills under study Rosie had scored higher than Oprah. The only interpersonal skill that Oprah had a higher score was in the area of Empathy. Rosie scored an average of 4.23 for Openness, 3.81 for Empathy, 4.25 for Supportiveness, 4.16 for Positiveness, 3.9 for Equality, 4.49 for Confidence, 3.87 for Immediacy, 4.32 for Interaction Management, 4.12 for Expressiveness, and 4.03 for Other Orientation.

Rosie Results from a Male Perspective:

The average score for the males versus the females indicates again a small occurring pattern. The male subjects rated Rosie O'Donnell lower, as they did the same with Oprah, than the females. The males had an average of 3.945 out of 5 and whereas the females had a score of 4.291. The males scored .35 of a one point less than the females. For each ten areas of interpersonal skills under analysis, the females gave higher scores than the males for Rosie O'Donnell.

Discussion

After analyzing the results of this study and looking at the reviewed related literature in the introduction, the researcher found that there is a correlation between effective communication of the two talk show hosts and their shows' ratings. Based on the reviewed literature, the researcher was able to identify the different characteristics of interpersonal skills that are necessary for effective communication in order to rate the ability of the two talk show hosts. As noted in the introduction, the comprehension and utilization of interpersonal skills are the only means to effective communication (Devito,1998). Because humans need and desire to interact with one another face to face, skilled communicators are vital to maintaining healthy interpersonal relationships (Leeds, 2000). The ability to communicate with others on an interpersonal level involves much more than just a basic understanding of the other person; it also entails the utilization of interpersonal communication skills (Devito,1998).

According to the results of the study it is evident that both Rosie O'Donnell and Oprah Winfrey possess a high level of interpersonal skills. Their scores portray that they have a complete understanding of what it takes to be an effective communicator. Although their scores show that they are high above average in their interpersonal skills, neither of them had a perfect score. The understanding that individual perception plays an important role in determining effective interpersonal communication, the researcher decided to analyze both the male and female examiners separately. The results displayed a small pattern in which the males tended to judge interpersonal skills more rigorously than the females for both talk show hosts. The females rated both Oprah Winfrey and Rosie O'Donnell's interpersonal skills higher than the males in the areas of Supportiveness, Confidence, Immediacy, Interaction Management and Expressiveness.

Comparing the interpersonal skill ratings of both Rosie O'Donnell and Oprah Winfrey to one another, the researcher found that Rosie O'Donnell had scored a higher average for both the male and female judges. Rosie O'Donnell had scored 4.1 out of a perfect score of 5, whereas Oprah Winfrey scored 3.9. Rosie O'Donnell had scored higher for both the female and male examiners in the areas of Openness, Supportiveness, Positiveness, Equality, Confidence, Interaction Management, Expressiveness and Other Orientation. Oprah Winfrey scored higher than Rosie O'Donnell in one area, and that was Empathy. The two talk show hosts had a tied score of 3.87 in the area of Immediacy.

Interpreting all of these statistics, the researcher found that although high interpersonal skills did correlate with high talk show ratings there was a small discrepancy when comparing the two talk show hosts together. Based on the ratings of the two talk show hosts, Oprah Winfrey is at the number one spot, according to the Nielsen ratings for the top ten syndicated talk shows for the fall of 2001, whereas Rosie O'Donnell placed in the number 5 position (Nielsen Ratings,2001). According to the results of this study Rosie had scored higher than Oprah Winfrey in eight out of the ten interpersonal skills under analysis, as well as scoring 0.187 of one point higher for the overall score. Because of this inconsistency of the results, the researcher must question whether or not each of the ten individual interpersonal skills can be placed in an order of importance. As mentioned earlier in the literature analysis, one of the most important characteristics of being an effective communicator is the skill of empathy (Bullmer,1975). Relating back to the results of this study, Oprah had scored higher in the area of empathy. One can consider whether this one interpersonal skill can out weigh the importance of all the others.

The researcher concluded that although the interpersonal skill of empathy is, in fact, the most important interpersonal skill for effective communication, there are also other factors that come into play. The age group and ethnic background of the viewers play an important role in influencing both the general audience's and for this particular study the six examiners' perceptions for the two talk show hosts. The aspect of interpersonal perception is one of the most important implications found in the study. As noted earlier in the introduction, interpersonal perception is the process by which individuals create impressions of others (Bullmer, 1975). Because interpersonal perception is one of the most important elements to consider when performing a study, the researcher concludes that if the study were to be re-done, a recommendation of using a variety of age groups and race and ethnic backgrounds would possibly promote more accurate results, as well as a deeper understanding of the impact of individual perception.

References

Bullmer, K. (1975). The art of empathy: a manual for improving accuracy of interpersonal perception. New York: Human Sciences Press, Inc.

Daly, J., & Wiemann, J. (Eds.). (1994). Strategic interpersonal communication. New Jersey: Lawrence Earlbaum Associates, Inc.

Devito, J. (1998). The interpersonal communication book (8th ed.). New York: Longman.

Hargie, O. (Ed.). (1986). A handbook of communication skills. New York: New York University Press.

Knapp, M., & Miller, G. (Eds.). (1994). Handbook of interpersonal communication (2nd ed.). California: Sage Publications, Inc.

Leeds, D. (2000). The 7 powers of questions. New York: The Berkley Publishing Group.

Pagewise. (2001). Oprah Winfrey Biography. Http://allsands.com/Entertainement/People/oprahwinfreybi_bdy_gn.htm.

Pagewise. (2001). Rosie O'Donnell Biography. Http://www.allsands.com/Entertainment/People/rosieodonnell_zwt_gn.htm.

Top ten syndicated talk shows. (2001). Nielsen Ratings. Http://talkshows.miningco.com/library/weekly/aa012902a.htm.

Tubbs, S., & Moss, S. (1977). Human communication (2nd ed.). New York: Random House, Inc.