In psycholinguistics and leadership studies, the babble hypothesis (demonstratively labeled the babble effect) is a conjecture that posits a strong correlation between the amount of speaking time an individual has in group settings and their likelihood of emerging as a leader, as commonly opposed to quality of speech.[1] [2] According to the hypothesis, individuals who contribute more verbal input during group interactions are more likely to be perceived and recognized as leaders.
A 2020 study, tested the babel hypothesis. In it, diverse groups of participants were observed in challenging strategy games, with measurement of both speaking time and the substance of their utterances. The study confirmed that speaking time had the highest correlation with leadership emergence, surpassing other factors such as intelligence, agreeableness, and game proficiency. The study also noted the secondary influence of gender.