Western Journal of Communication, 56 (Winter 1992), 37-53 The Effects of Speech Rate Similarity on Compliance: Application of Communication Accommodation Theory DAVID B. BULLER and R. KELLY AUNE This experiment tested a communication accommodation theory (CAT) explanation for the effects of speaker speech rate on compliance with a request for help. It was predicted that communicators' speech rate similarity increases social attractiveness and creates relational obligations to comply. Nine speech rates were presented to assess preferences for speech rate and speech rate similarity. Four requests for help, varying from unaccept- ably slow to unacceptably fast, were presented. As predicted, speech rate similarity was associated with greater intimacy, immediacy, and sociability/character interpretations. Speech-rate similarity was not directly related to compliance, but enhanced immediacy ratings were linked to greater compliance. Nonverbal cues that indicate relational in- volvement or immediacy may be more instrumental in creating obligations to comply than cues wbich communicate sociability and character. R ESEARCH ON SOCIAL INFLUENCE via nonverbal communication has re- vealed that one of the more important channels is the tone of voice, referred to variously as paralanguage, vocalics, and speech style.' Its preeminence may stem from the integral association with verbal con- tent, which carries the majority of the meaning in persuasive encoun- ters and gamers a great deal ofthe persuadee's attention (Burgoon, 1985; Burgoon, Buller, & Woodall, 1989; Philpott, 1983). In research on speech style and social influence, speech rate has received considerable attention (cf. Gunderson & Hopper, 1976; Mehra- hian & Williams, 1969; Miller, Maruyama, Beaber, & Valone, 1976; Smith, Brown, Strong, & Rencher, 1975; Woodall & Burgoon, 1983); however, the role of speech rate in social influence has been inconsis- tent. Recently, Buller and Aune (1988) suggested that the type of in- fluence outcome determined the rate of speech that improved persuasion. Working from Giles' Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) (Giles, Mulac, Bradac, & Johnson, 1987), Buller and Aune predicted that DAVID B. BULLER (Ph.D., Michigan State U.) is associate professor of Communication at the University of Arizona. R. KELLY AUNE (Ph.D., U. of Arizona) is assistant profes- sor of Speech Communication at the University of Hawaii. The authors would like to thank the students from Communication 415 at the University of Arizona who assisted with this project. Requests for reprints should be sent to Dr. David Buller, Dept. of Communi- cation, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721.