Showing papers by "Howard Giles published in 2017"

The fluency principle: Why foreign accent strength negatively biases language attitudes

Abstract: Two experiments tested the prediction that heavy foreign-accented speakers are evaluated more negatively than mild foreign-accented speakers because the former are perceived as more prototypical (ie, representative) of their respective group and their speech disrupts listeners’ processing fluency (ie, is more difficult to process) Participants listened to a mild or heavy Punjabi- (Study 1) or Mandarin-accented (Study 2) speaker Compared to the mild-accented speaker, the heavy-accented speaker in both studies was attributed less status (but not solidarity), was perceived as more prototypical of their respective group, disrupted listeners’ processing fluency, and elicited a more negative affective reaction The negative effects of accent strength on status were mediated by processing fluency and sequentially by processing fluency and affect, but not by prototypicality Theoretical, methodological, and practical implications are discussed

Communication and group life: How language and symbols shape intergroup relations:

Abstract: In this article, we review the different functions that language and symbols (in particular clothing) fulfill in group life; language and clothing are rarely, if ever, discussed together in the same conceptual space. Our review includes a consideration of how social identities are communicated and discredited, boundaries crossed, and group norms established, maintained, and regulated. Throughout, we integrate motivational and social-cognitive approaches, ending with proposals for future research and theory in intergroup communication.

The Contexts and Dynamics of Science Communication and Language

Abstract: This final contribution to this special Journal of Language and Social Psychology issue on “using the science of language to improve translation of the language of science” places the articles in the context and nature of the broader literature on science communication, particularly as it relates to the media. This framework is crafted with a view to identifying the complex factors and processes that create translation problems, highlighting models and approaches that can improve science communication. Throughout, we propose a parsimonious set of research agenda items. Scholars wishing to move between different models of science communication should take into consideration the processes of formative evaluation, intergroup accommodation, and message design logics.

Language attitudes and intergroup dynamics in multilingual organizations

Abstract: This article takes an intergroup communication perspective to conceptualizing language-related issues in multilingual multinational corporations (MNCs). Language is one of the most salient identifi...

Grandparent-Grandchild Communication: A Review of Theoretically Informed Research

Abstract: This article reviews theoretically informed research on grandparent-grandchild (GP-GC) communication. Research has been organized herein according to whether it is guided by an intergroup theory, a...

Aging and communication across cultures

Abstract: This chapter examines and overviews research on aging and communication conducted in various corners of the world, and illuminates critical issues such as age stereotypes, the changing roles of family and older person norms, intra-and intergenerational communication perceptions in general, and the subjective health implications of intra-and intergenerational communication. Against the backdrop of rapid technological advancement and societal structural transformation, old age has increasingly been associated with negative meanings, especially in so-called Eastern countries, where the tradition of respect for older adults has been eroding. Under such circumstances, younger adults are likely to struggle and be dissatisfied in their communication with older adults, who consider communication with the latter to be rather problematic. Turning to the workplace, which has more recently garnered scholastic attention from intergenerational scholars, older adults tend to suffer from negative age stereotypes and discrimination in this context too. This chapter thus provides a synthesis of research on intergenerational communication across cultures both in and out of the workplace, and sets the stage for the promotion of a more positive and interactional intergenerational climate.

The Role of Communication Perceptions in the Mental Health of Older Adults: Views From Thailand and the United States.

Abstract: This study examines age ingroup and outgroup communication perceptions of older Thai and American adults to assess whether communication perceptions of self and others are associated with mental health outcomes such as personal self-esteem, collective self-esteem, and life satisfaction. Results suggest that more accommodation by same-age older others leads to greater personal self-esteem, greater group esteem, and greater life satisfaction, while more nonaccommodation by younger others leads to less life satisfaction for the Thais and Americans. More overaccommodation by younger others was found to lead to less personal self-esteem and less life satisfaction for the sample as a whole. Discriminant loadings show life satisfaction was the most important variable in distinguishing between the prototypical older Thai and American respondent. The overall profile shows the typical Thai older adult participants as perceiving members of their own age ingroup as communicatively avoidant and overaccommodating while also experiencing lower collective self-esteem and life satisfaction. Typical older Americans tended to be associated with higher collective self-esteem and life satisfaction.