University Presentation Showcase: Undergraduate Division
How Accents Influence the Identification of Appalachian Words
Presenter Hometown
Georgetown, Ky
Major
Psychology
Department
Psychology
Degree
Undergraduate
Mentor
Sara Incera
Mentor Department
Psychology
Recommended Citation
Humphrey, Haydn W.; Moncada, Alejandro A.; Mathes, Ava V.; and Incera, Sarah, "How Accents Influence the Identification of Appalachian Words" (2025). University Presentation Showcase Event. 34.
https://encompass.eku.edu/swps/2025/undergraduate/34
Abstract
The goal of this project is to determine the influence of accents (Appalachian, Other) on vocabulary comprehension, specifically focusing on identifying Appalachian words. Participants were recruited from Eastern Kentucky University. Mouse-tracking software was employed as individuals were tasked with listening to words and identifying their meaning by choosing the right image on the top right or left corner of the screen. The study included terms commonly used in the Appalachian region (e.g., waspers) and terms from other regions across the United States (e.g., bubbler). The results indicate that listeners identify the words better when the accent and the word match (e.g., waspers spoken in an Appalachian accent, bubbler spoken in other accent). Investigating how individuals process and comprehend region-specific terms, and how accents interact with this process, is crucial for achieving a comprehensive understanding of the language dynamics in the United States.
Keywords: Appalachian, word identification, regional words, regional terms, dialect
Presentation format
Poster
How Accents Influence the Identification of Appalachian Words
The goal of this project is to determine the influence of accents (Appalachian, Other) on vocabulary comprehension, specifically focusing on identifying Appalachian words. Participants were recruited from Eastern Kentucky University. Mouse-tracking software was employed as individuals were tasked with listening to words and identifying their meaning by choosing the right image on the top right or left corner of the screen. The study included terms commonly used in the Appalachian region (e.g., waspers) and terms from other regions across the United States (e.g., bubbler). The results indicate that listeners identify the words better when the accent and the word match (e.g., waspers spoken in an Appalachian accent, bubbler spoken in other accent). Investigating how individuals process and comprehend region-specific terms, and how accents interact with this process, is crucial for achieving a comprehensive understanding of the language dynamics in the United States.
Keywords: Appalachian, word identification, regional words, regional terms, dialect
