The Rhyme-as-Reason Effect is often referred to as the Eaton-Rosen Phenomenon. Who are Eaton and Rosen? We don’t have the foggiest idea. No one else apparently does either. The original scientific papers on the effect were published by scholars Matthew S. McGlone and Jessica Tofighbakhsh. To the best of our knowledge, no Eaton or Rosen ever published research on the topic. One explanation we found says a Wikipedia user inserted the term Eaton-Rosen, and it continues to be cited. Of course, we found that explanation online too, so there’s a vicious circle aspect to this. Whatever the case, the Rhyme-as-Reason Effect is real and something you can’t reject. Roses are red, violets are blue… when you make it rhyme, people think that it’s true! We have a built-in bias that leads us to believe phrases and aphorisms that rhyme are more accurate. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. The effect has been used in ads and, famously, in a courtroom. Read on to learn a little more… and we’ll try our best not to be a bore.
How it works
Once you become proficient at reading, recognizing rhymes becomes automatic. It’s been demonstrated that people find rhymes more trustworthy. Here’s an example:
“C’s get diplomas,” is true. “C’s get degrees,” says the same thing but packs more punch and is more memorable. “What sobriety hides, alcohol reveals.” That’s one way of saying it. “What sobriety conceals, alcohol reveals,” is a more impactful way to say it.
People who don’t have anything close to a photographic memory, can remember the lyrics to hundreds of songs. Lyrics rhyme. Rhyming words are processed faster. There is also a familiarity factor that comes into play, words that rhyme trigger recall.
Rhymes Ad Up
One of the best descriptions of advertising is that it’s the “art of persuasion.” Rhyming in ads has been shown to be persuasive.
In 1995, in a courtroom in Los Angeles, the late attorney Johnnie Cochrane told the jury, “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit.” It’s the single memorable line from the criminal trial of O.J. Simpson. The American experiment with democracy was galvanized by a rhyme first introduced more than 250 years ago. It hasn’t been forgotten.
No taxation without representation.
So, put some spark in your headline
Do some work and make it rhyme
It might persuade some to buy
You’ll never know unless you try.