Insinuated vs Asserted Ad Hominem: An Experimental Approach to their Rhetorical Effectiveness on Ethos

As they are usually plausibly deniable and not explicitly stated, insinuations are assumed to preserve the image speakers want to project to their audience. We experimentally investigated the effect of insinuated ad hominem on perceived ability, benevolence and integrity – building on Mayer et al. (1995)’s framework for trust assessment. We assumed and observed that insinuated ad hominem attacks help mitigate the consequences of personal attacks on these characteristics when competing with asserted ad hominem attacks.