Telling Rehearsed From Spontaneous Speech
Launch library · evergreen read
Spontaneous speech tends to be messier than rehearsed speech: more false starts, more mid-sentence corrections, a less even rhythm overall. Learning to hear that difference, without treating either mode as inherently more truthful than the other, sharpens an interviewer's sense of what kind of answer they are actually receiving.
Rehearsed answers are not automatically suspect. A subject who has explained the same event many times has simply had more opportunity to refine their account, and refinement is not the same thing as dishonesty, even if it produces a smoother sentence than a first telling would.
The value of noticing the difference lies mainly in knowing which kind of follow up will work. A rehearsed answer often needs an unexpected angle to move past its polish; a spontaneous one may simply need patience and room to keep unfolding. Recognising which kind of answer is on offer helps an interviewer choose the follow up most likely to move the conversation forward.