Charm or Harm: Effect of Passage Content on Listener Attitudes Toward American English Accents

This study examined how passage content influences attitudes towards American English Accents. Participants listened to passages differing in topic content spoken in an American Southern English or Standard American English accent. Although Southern-accented speakers were rated higher in sociality, but lower in status, than standard-accented speakers, sociality ratings varied as a function of passage topic only for Standard-accented speakers. Linguistic content appeared most likely to influence listeners' attitudes when preexisting assumptions based on regional accent were absent.