Research from the University of Chicago suggests that even in the 21st century, people with accents can be considered untrustworthy.

A 2010 study carried out by University of Chicago researchers shows that a foreign accent tends to damage a speaker’s credibility.

To me, these findings appear archaic in our multi-cultural society, especially considering the many international connections now established through globalization and the Internet.

But, apparently, shadowy doubts about “untrustworthy foreigners” persist.

The study emphasizes, however, that this impression is largely subconscious and not necessarily due to racist or discriminatory attitudes.

One portion of the study involved listening to speakers with varying accents as they read surprising facts such as ““A giraffe can go without water longer than a camel can.”

Even when listeners were informed that the speakers were simply reciting from script, native speakers came off as more believable than those with a slight accent, and speakers with a strong accent clearly were considered the least credible of all.

“’The results have important implications for how people perceive non-native speakers of a language, particularly as mobility increases in the modern world, leading millions of people to be non-native speakers of the language they use daily,’ said Boaz Keysar, a Professor of Psychology at the University of Chicago and an expert on communication.”

The research, supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation, provides previously undiscovered links between accents and speaker credibility.

Betty Carlson

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