In the ear of the beholder
How ethnicity of raters affects the perception of a foreign accent
In the present study, we tested whether a foreign accent activated different stereotypes, depending
on the listener. Here, we explore whether ethnicity of a rater affects the perceived intelligence of a doctor
speaking English with a Chinese accent vs. a doctor speaking English with a standard Canadian accent. As
predicted, the results show an interaction between the ethnicity of the rater and the accent of the doctor:
Chinese Canadians attributed lower intelligence to a doctor speaking with a Chinese accent than with a
standard accent and, conversely, English Canadians perceived both doctors to be highly intelligent – which is
consistent with previous research. We finally discuss how these stereotypes might be related to bias and
interpersonal relations.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Methods: Evaluating the perception of a Chinese accent in a medical environment
- Participants
- Materials
- Procedure
- Analysis
- 3.Results: A main effect of ethnicity in rating intelligence
- 4.Discussion: Effects of stereotypes and accents on out-groups
- Limitations and future directions
- 5.Conclusion
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References
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Appendix