Regional dialect, message acceptance, and perceptions of the speaker

Acceptance or rejection of the speaker's thesis, his support or opposition to Governor George Wallace of Alabama, and delivery of the speech with a Southern or General American dialect were fac‐torialized in a 2’ design. Midwestern subjects attributed greater interpersonal attractiveness, authoritativeness, character, and attitude/ value similarity when he used the General American dialect, greater authoritativeness when he used the Southern dialect, and greater character when he opposed Wallace using the Southern’ dialect and supported him using the General American dialect.