Beyond the Noise: What Yelling Research is Not Telling You
In today’s fast-paced world, yelling has become a frequent response to stress and frustration. Recent U.S. data shows that 88% of workers experience burnout, and 87% have had a vocal outburst at work in the last six months.1
However, these outbursts are not confined to the workplace—in fact, far from it. Public incidents captured on social media, whether it be during the Olympics when an athlete’s mother yelled at security out of concern for her son’s health or even by household names like Justin Bieber and “Spock,” have fueled conversations about the impact of yelling.2,3,4 The widespread concern particularly surrounds how such outbursts might influence children due to their heightened emotional sensitivity from their developing brains.5
But amidst these conversations, it’s worth asking: is yelling inherently harmful? What factors influence the impact of yelling? Today, we’ll explore how the “Four Cs”—Causes, Contextual factors, Cultural realities, and the Content of what is said—influence the potential effects yelling can have.
References
- Hanna, K. The Truth About Worker Burnout Revealed. My Perfect Resume. https://www.myperfectresume.com/career-center/careers/basics/worker-burnout
- Selleck, E. (2024). Noah Lyles' mom 'was YELLING in the face' of Paris Olympics security after Covid-stricken son's 200m bronze, claims fan. Daily Mail. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/olympics/article-13737523/Olympics-Noah-Lyles-mom-lied-security-200m.html
- JJ Staff (2024). Justin Bieber Goes Viral for Video of Him Yelling at Teens in Public, Reason Why Revealed. Just Jared. https://www.justjared.com/photo-gallery/5062542/justin-bieber-yells-at-teens-heckling-him-01/
- Yadav, A. (2024). ‘A terrible customer,’ Toronto cafe calls out Star Trek actor for yelling at their staff. Now Toronto. https://nowtoronto.com/news/a-terrible-customer-toronto-cafe-calls-out-star-trek-actor-for-yelling-at-their-staff/
- Faruque, O. (2024). ‘This makes my stomach turn’: Mom takes abusive husband down by recording him yelling at their daughter over a grilled cheese sandwich. WGTC. https://wegotthiscovered.com/social-media/mom-takes-abusive-husband-down-by-recording-him-yelling-at-their-daughter-over-a-grilled-cheese-sandwich/
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- Madormo, C. (2023). The Psychological Effects of Being Yelled At. Very Well Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/trauma-response-to-being-yelled-at-5248787
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- Laukka, P., & Elfenbein, H. A. (2021). Cross-Cultural Emotion Recognition and In-Group Advantage in Vocal Expression: A Meta-Analysis. Emotion Review, 13(1), 3-11. https://doi.org/10.1177/1754073919897295
- Harvard University (2010). Persistent fear and anxiety can affect young children’s learning and development. The National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. https://developingchild.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Persistent-Fear-and-Anxiety-Can-Affect-Young-Childrens-Learning-and-Development.pdf
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- Tu, M.-Y., Chu, H., Lai, C.-Y., Chiang, K.-T., Huang, C.-C., Chin, H.-C., Wen, Y.-H., & Chen, C.-L. (2021). Effect of standardized yelling on subjective perception and autonomic nervous system activity in motion sickness. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health,18, 12854. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182312854
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- Bryant, G.A. (2022). Vocal communication across cultures: theoretical and methodological issues. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B37720200387 http://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2020.0387
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About the Author
Dr. Maraki Kebede
Maraki is a Project Leader at The Decision Lab. Her research focuses on social and spatial equity in education globally, and has been featured in peer-reviewed journals, edited volumes, and international conferences. Maraki has worked with several international organizations to craft pathways to empower underserved school-aged children and youth in Africa, including UNESCO, the World Bank, the Institute of International Education, and Geneva Global Inc.
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