University Presentation Showcase: Undergraduate Division
Does Appearance Affect Participants’ Ratings Of Foreign Accents?
Presenter Hometown
Harlan
Major
Biomedical Sciences & Psychology
Department
Psychology
Degree
Undergraduate
Mentor
Sara Incera
Mentor Department
Psychology
Recommended Citation
Shoemaker, Jenna, "Does Appearance Affect Participants’ Ratings Of Foreign Accents?" (2022). University Presentation Showcase Event. 20.
https://encompass.eku.edu/swps/2022/undergraduate/20
Abstract
First impressions can oftentimes dictate the overall judgment of a person without one knowing anything else about them. This study analyzed the effects that the appearance of a speaker had on the participants’ ratings of their accent. Participants were asked to rate each speakers’ accent on a scale from Native to Foreign. The participants were randomly assigned to the video or audio condition. The stimuli were speakers that looked native or foreign and sounded native or foreign. We found that participants rated the foreign sounding speakers with a foreign accent and native sounding speakers with a native accent. Additionally, participants who watched the video rated the speakers as more extreme (native, foreign) than participants who just listened to the audio. The participants in the video condition rated the native sounding speakers who looked native twice as native than the participants in the audio condition. Surprisingly, visuals did not impact the accentedness rating of the foreign sounding speakers. These results highlight the important role that visual information plays when processing accents.
Presentation format
Poster
Does Appearance Affect Participants’ Ratings Of Foreign Accents?
First impressions can oftentimes dictate the overall judgment of a person without one knowing anything else about them. This study analyzed the effects that the appearance of a speaker had on the participants’ ratings of their accent. Participants were asked to rate each speakers’ accent on a scale from Native to Foreign. The participants were randomly assigned to the video or audio condition. The stimuli were speakers that looked native or foreign and sounded native or foreign. We found that participants rated the foreign sounding speakers with a foreign accent and native sounding speakers with a native accent. Additionally, participants who watched the video rated the speakers as more extreme (native, foreign) than participants who just listened to the audio. The participants in the video condition rated the native sounding speakers who looked native twice as native than the participants in the audio condition. Surprisingly, visuals did not impact the accentedness rating of the foreign sounding speakers. These results highlight the important role that visual information plays when processing accents.
