Carli (1990) compared males and females on their use of language and their influence on the listener. They compared male and female speakers who spoke either tentatively or assertively. They also took into account the gender of the listener. Separate groups of speakers were used for each sex of listener, and each listener heard only one speaker. The dependent variable was the perceived influence of the speaker. (Note: Female speakers who spoke tentatively were more influential than assertive female speakers when speaking to men, but less influential when speaking to women. Male speakers were equally influential when speaking to either group.)