You mention the status of the debaters, but it also makes sense to consider the status of the audience. Consider how many audience members “ask a question” but really just want to attract attention on themselves, express their own opinion on the topic, and signal that they too are knowledgeable about the subject.
Your intervention, telling them to just shut up even if there was nothing going on for 30 seconds, is treating them as low-status. But it worked, because you made the rules that everyone in the audience will be treated as low-status, so it is nothing personal when you refuse a specific person’s question.
You mention the status of the debaters, but it also makes sense to consider the status of the audience. Consider how many audience members “ask a question” but really just want to attract attention on themselves, express their own opinion on the topic, and signal that they too are knowledgeable about the subject.
Your intervention, telling them to just shut up even if there was nothing going on for 30 seconds, is treating them as low-status. But it worked, because you made the rules that everyone in the audience will be treated as low-status, so it is nothing personal when you refuse a specific person’s question.