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News

Do we trust people who speak with an accent?

We tend to believe speakers who sound the same as us, though much depends on their tone of voice
Published: 19 September 2018

You are in a strange neighbourhood, your cell phone’s dead, and you desperately need to find the closest garage. A couple of people on the street chime in, each sending you in opposite directions. One person sounds like a local and speaks in a nonchalant manner, while the other uses a loud, confident voice but speaks with a strong accent. Who are you going to trust? A recently published study shows that unless they speak in a confident tone of voice, you’re less likely to believe someone who speaks with an accent. And, interestingly, as you make this decision different parts of your brain are activated, depending on whether you perceive the speaker to be from your own “in-group” or from some type of “out-group” (e.g., someone with a different linguistic or cultural background).

Read More: https://www.mcgill.ca/newsroom/article/do-we-trust-people-who-speak-accent

 

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