I Don't Like You Because You're Hard to Understand: The Role of Processing Fluency in the Language Attitudes Process

Two experiments examined the effects of processing fluency—that is, the ease with which speech is processed—on language attitudes toward native‐ and foreign‐accented speech. Participants listened to an audio recording of a story read in either a Standard American English (SAE) or Punjabi English (PE...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Human communication research 2016-07, Vol.42 (3), p.396-420
Main Authors: Dragojevic, Marko, Giles, Howard
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accent
Affect
Attitudes
Communication
Language Attitudes
Language proficiency
Processing Fluency
White Noise
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Summary:Two experiments examined the effects of processing fluency—that is, the ease with which speech is processed—on language attitudes toward native‐ and foreign‐accented speech. Participants listened to an audio recording of a story read in either a Standard American English (SAE) or Punjabi English (PE) accent. They heard the recording either free of noise or mixed with background white noise of various intensity levels. Listeners attributed more solidarity (but equal status) to the SAE than the PE accent. Compared to quieter listening conditions, noisier conditions reduced processing fluency, elicited a more negative affective reaction, and resulted in more negative language attitudes. Processing fluency and affect mediated the effects of noise on language attitudes. Theoretical, methodological, and practical implications are discussed.
ISSN:0360-3989
1468-2958
DOI:10.1111/hcre.12079