How did the closing argument in O.J. Simpson’s 1995 murder trial illustrate an important rhetorical principle?
Subject: Cognitive Fluency - The Rhyme As Reason Effect
Event: Murder Trial of O.J. Simpson ends, 1995
On September 28, 1995, the O.J. Simpson murder trial was finally wrapping up after 11 months. Of the millions of words presented to the jury, it was just seven words proclaimed on this day that stood out. Defense Attorney Jonny Cochran was speaking to the jury about a key piece of evidence, a pair of gloves found at the scene of the crime. Earlier in the trial when the prosecution requested that Simpson put on the gloves, it appeared that the gloves were too small for Simpson’s hands. Cochran was reminding the jury of this fact during his closing argument, saying “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit.” A few days later, as the entire nation watched, the jury announced their verdict: not guilty.
What if Cochran had said, “Mr. Simpson is not guilty because the glove did not fit”? Is it possible that the way something is said can be just as important as what is said?
To test this Psychologist Matthew McGlone did a study in 1999 where he presented unfamiliar aphorisms in either rhyming or non-rhyming form. (“Woes unite foes,” for example, versus “Woes unite enemies.”) The study showed that even though the meaning of the two aphorisms was essentially the same, people labeled the rhyming ones as more accurate than the non-rhyming ones. When participants in the study were asked whether or not rhyme influenced their choice, they overwhelmingly answered no. The results showed that what makes sense to us can be unconsciously influenced by our sense of sound.
This study also affirmed what the poet John Keats said in his poem “Ode to a Grecian Urn” in 1819: “Beauty is truth, truth beauty.” In other words, the more elegantly something is said, the more inherently true it appears. Based on the results of his study, Matthew McGlone dubbed this cognitive bias the rhyme-as-reason effect, also known as the “Keats Heuristic.”
The impact of rhyme can be seen in the following everyday expressions. As you read each one, think about how the sound of each expression contributes to its sense:
Fake it ’til you make it
See you later, Alligator
Good night, sleep tight
You snooze, you lose
Put the pedal to the metal
In addition to rhyme, Cohran’s line and the familiar lines above have the advantage of what psychologists call cognitive fluency, a principle that says the human brain has a preference for things that are easy to think about versus things that are more difficult to comprehend. As a result, we’re much more likely to prefer rhyming slogans and concise, pithy statements to more verbose or less sonically pleasing sentences.
Recall, Retrieve, Recite, Ruminate, Reflect, Reason: What is Cognitive Fluency, and how did the study with contrasting aphorisms reveal its impact on readers?
Challenge - Words that Worked: What are some examples of the greatest slogans in the history of advertising or politics? Select one that you like, and explain how cognitive fluency might have contributed to its success.
ALSO ON THIS DAY:
September 28, 1768: Benjamin Franklin -- founding father, diplomat, printer, scientist, writer, and civic reformer -- wrote a letter making his case for spelling reform. Many know about his inventions, such as the lightning rod, bifocals, and the Franklin stove, but not many know about his attempt to eliminate six letters of the English alphabet and replace them with six of his own invention. Franklin’s chief concern, like many who came both before and after him, was the confusing discrepancy in English between its sounds and its alphabet: “The difficulty of learning to spell well . . . is so great, that few attain it, thousands and thousands writing on to old age without ever being able to acquire it” (1).
September 28 (Each Year): This day is celebrated in Taiwan as “Teacher’s Day,” the birthday of Confucious, who said, “Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.”
September 28, 1996: Today we recognize Tom Brady as probably the greatest football player who ever lived. However, when he entered his first college game on this day, the first pass he threw was intercepted and returned for a 42-year touchdown. (See Thinker’s Almanac - August 3).
Sources:
1-Bennet, Drake. “Easy = True.” Boston Globe 31 Jan. 2010.
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