In this paper, we study the elements of political discourse where persuasion is present as communicative strategy.
In particular, we focus on the analysis of intonation and affectivity in a two-candidate Spanish electoral debate (
Hidalgo Downing and Nieto y Otero 2014;
Ponsonnet
2014;
Reber 2012).The methodology consisted in selecting the openings and
closings of each turn, taking the act as analysis unit (
Briz 2003); for the acoustic
analysis we have examined three parameters – fundamental frequency, intensity and vowel durations –, and four strategies for the
positive affective bonds: assertiveness, inclusion, specificity and naturalization, in order to pursue the initial hypothesis on
whether it is possible to find relations between intonation and affectivity. The analysis shows that both candidates use
affective bonds and intonation to enhance persuasion, although there are interesting differences between candidates and between
openings and closings. While openings show greater number and variety of strategies, both verbal and intonational, closings show
lower intonational contours and less variation, therefore openings showing higher use of positive persuasive strategies, whereas
in closings, there are no strategies addressed to the hearer, the most frequent being assertiveness. As for
intonational contours, there is a general lowering in all values.