We gravitate to people who are like us; our “tribe”. One factor that we use to assume that others are like us, is by the way they talk. Not just the words they speak, but the accent that they use to communicate. And yes, we all have an accent!
Since the way we speak is central to our identity, do we have control over it by altering our accent or by learning a new language? And what implications does our hidden linguistic bias have in the workplace and for discrimination laws?
Pioneering psychologist Katherine Kinzler PhD has spent years researching the way we talk and listen to voices. Katherine is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Chicago and author of the recent book “How You Say It: Why You Talk the Way You Do―And What It Says About You”. We talk with her about linguistic prejudices, and how she advocates for bilingualism, multilingual education and linguistic diversity.
If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a quick review on your podcast platform. It really helps other listeners to find our content. You can also help fund our work by contributing to Behavioral Grooves through Patreon. Thank you!
Topics(4:16) Welcome to Katherine and speed round questions.
(6:00) Can language be both fixed and malleable at the same time?
(10:57) Why Katherine wrote a book about linguistic prejudice and valuing bilingualism.
(13:40) How do you define good communication?
(17:52) The implications of speech discrimination in the work place.
(20:40) Do we gravitate to people who share a similar linguistic pattern to ours?
(24:26) The value of multilingual education.
(26:11) How young children learn about language having social relevance.
(34:26) Our society teaches us to embed our kids with social norms.
(39:03) How music from different cultures influences young children.
(42:43) Grooving Session - linguistic prejudices and how we can overcome them.
© 2022 Behavioral Grooves
LinksDr. Katherine Kinzler PhD: https://psychology.uchicago.edu/directory/katherine-d-kinzler
“How You Say It: Why You Talk the Way You Do―And What It Says About You” by Katherine Kinzler: https://amzn.to/3BNn6BE
Episode 274, Paul Bloom: Why Finding Pleasure in Life is a Painful Journey: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/pleasure-is-a-painful-journey/
Spelke ES, Kinzler KD. “Core knowledge” Developmental Science. 2007 Jan;10(1):89-96: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17181705/
Episode 102: Cristina Bicchieri: Social Norms are Bundles of Expectations https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cristina-bicchieri-social-norms-are-bundles-of-expectations/
Samuel A. Mehr, Lee Ann Song, Elizabeth S. Spelke, “For 5-Month-Old Infants, Melodies Are Social”: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797615626691
Behavioral Grooves Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves
Musical LinksMusic with Mr. Dave: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vl1PsQ3ngWo&ab_channel=MrDaveMusic
The 3 Steps To Getting Your Groove Back In The New Year
Make It Scale: How To Drive Behavior Change Initiatives | Neela Saldanha PhD
The Best Behavioral Science Books Of 2022 (According to Kurt and Tim!)
How the Right Journal Can Help You Reach Your Goals in 2023
How Game Theory Can Be Used To Explain Human Behavior | Erez Yoeli
Do One Small Thing Every Day That Scares You | Scott Simon
Want To Join A Secret Club? With Michael F. Schein
How To Redesign Social Media Better So That It’s Actually Sociable
Groove Track | Tale of Two Markets: Do We Help People Only For Money Or Candy?
Why Do Good People Let Bad Things Happen? With Max Bazerman
A Proven Way Expectations Can Unlock A More Positive Life | David Robson
Grooving on Cheating: Kurt, Tim, Christian Hunt, and Koen Smets
Can You Unlearn History And Still Love Your Country? With Dolly Chugh
How To Get Comfortable With Uncertainty: The Ambiguity Mindset with Debbie Sutherland
Quit: Why We Do It Too Late and How To Get Better At It with Annie Duke
Four Steps To More Effective Conversations | Chuck Wisner
How To Have A Conversation About Racism | Robert Livingston
Visualize A Horse...But What If You Actually Can’t? Aphantasia Explained With Dr Adam Zeman
Want to Know How Priming Works? It Starts With Your Conscious, Not Your Unconscious | John Bargh PhD
Rory Sutherland: The Opposite of a Good Idea is a Good Idea [Republish]
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Poetry of Science
Hidden Brain
Something You Should Know
The Science of Happiness
The Psychology Podcast