[thedevopsguy]

According to Pennebaker status is negotiated at the beginning of a new interaction when the perceived status of the participants is unclear. The frequency of the filler words mark the status/role that has been adopted by the participants. Which is clearly marked in the email examples given.

The article does not imply that this is a learned skill, since the whole theory is based on function words which are accessible at even the most basic proficiency of a language. It is merely describing what happens to our language when we enter a social interaction.

Note the words used aren't necessarily important but rather the function of the words are, i.e are they referencing social objects ( the role of pronouns) or referencing concrete or abstract non-social objects.