Reducing discrimination based on accent in the workplace: perceptions of American accented and non-native Dutch accented English.
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2021-06-07
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en
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Abstract
Discrimination based on accent is a phenomenon that occurs regularly, especially in today’s
globalising world. Surprisingly, there have not been conducted many researches attempting to
diminish accent-based discrimination. In this study, a prejudice control text had been used as
an intervention to assess whether it affected speakers’ evaluations. Dutch listeners were asked
to evaluate a native American accented or a nonnative moderate Dutch accented job pitch. In
the experimental condition, the listeners received a prejudice control text, whereas those in the
control condition did not receive any treatment. The two accented speakers were evaluated
significantly differently on understandability and attitudinal evaluations. Strikingly, as opposed
to previous studies that were successful in reducing discriminatory tendencies in the workplace,
the prejudice control intervention appeared to have no influence on speaker evaluations.
Potential explanations of these results are discussed.
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