Language Attitudes and Cognitive Mediation

Using an independent samples factorial design, this study examined the roles of accent (standard vs. nonstandard), speech rate (fast vs. medium vs. slow), and age of voice (younger vs. older sounding) on British listeners’ social evaluations of audiotaped voices using the matched-guise technique. In addition, listener judges’ level and nature of cognitive responding, their interpretations of the targets’ utterances and the (mediumterm) recognition value of messages were uniquely explored as a function of these three independent variables. In general, standard speakers were upgraded on competencerelated traits but downgraded on solidarity traits irrespective of age, with older speakers being perceived as less hesitant but more benevolent than their younger counterparts. An Age × Accent interaction effect showed that older-sounding standard speakers were judged the most competent and older-sounding nonstandard speakers the least competent. Favorable ratings were afforded speakers with medium rates, and slow-talking, younger-sounding speakers were particularly downgraded. All three independent variables affected ratings of listeners’ interpretations of the (same) text, while speaker age was the only effect on the recognition of message material 2 days later. The cognitive responding data showed that listener judges were most positive about the source when the target was fast talking and older sounding and were most negative to the fast-talking, younger-sounding, and standard-accented speaker. The diverse pattern of findings emerging at different levels of analysis underscores the important roles of cognitive mediation in language attitude studies in ways not explored sufficiently previously.