Date of Award
Spring 5-2017
Degree Type
Honors College Thesis
Department
Communication Studies
First Advisor
Lawrence Hosman
Advisor Department
Communication Studies
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate how differences in regional dialect affect students’ perceptions of teacher credibility. In a broader sense, the research aimed to improve teacher-student interactions by identifying communication barriers created through cultural differences. 109 students at the University of Southern Mississippi who identified as natives to the American South participated in the study. 52 of the participants listened to a lecture given by a Standard American English speaker, and the other 57 participants listened to the same lecture delivered in American Southern English. Both groups completed a survey with twelve seven-point semantic differential scales, measuring participants’ perceptions of four dimensions of speaker credibility: competence, trustworthiness, caring, and dynamism. Results showed that a significant difference existed between groups only for the dynamism dimension of credibility. Students who heard the Standard American English recording evaluated the speaker as significantly more energetic, and therefore more dynamic, than those who heard the American Southern English recording. Interestingly, students in both groups evaluated the speaker as exhibiting highly positive credibility traits. Therefore, it is evident that lecture content and other voice elements likely affected credibility attributions.
Copyright
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Recommended Citation
McGillis, Marissa C., "Language Attitudes and the Learning Environment: The Effects of Regional Dialect on Perceptions of Teacher Credibility" (2017). Honors Theses. 500.
https://aquila.usm.edu/honors_theses/500