This paper reports the results of a study investigating the effects of two communication-relevant personality variables, verbal aggressiveness and argumentativeness, on two quantitative dimensions of compliance-gaining message use, persistence and diversity. The investigation involved having 46 participants engage in a series of negotiations in which their compliance-gaining behavior was measured. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that argumentativeness is positively related to strategic diversity. The results also indicate that verbal aggressiveness and argumentativeness interact to effect persistence. © 1993, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.
