Implicit and Explicit Language Attitudes: Mapping Linguistic Prejudice and Attitude Change in England

✍ Scribed by Robert M. McKenzie, Andrew McNeill

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2022
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 207
• Series: Routledge Studies in Sociolinguistics
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This timely volume constitutes the first book-length account of implicit as well as explicit language attitudes. It details the findings of a large-scale study, incorporating cutting-edge implicit and self-report instruments adapted from social psychology, investigating the evaluations of over 300 English nationals of the status and social attractiveness of Northern English and Southern English speech in England.

The book is unique in its examination of implicit-explicit attitude divergence, across a range of social factors, to identify the direction of language attitude change in progress and the particular social groups leading attitude change. The volume provides a comprehensive understanding of language-based prejudice in England and the study paves the way for researchers to employ newly developed implicit and explicit measures to investigate language attitudes and language attitude change in a range of contexts.

This book is invaluable for researchers in sociolinguistics and applied linguists interested in theoretical and methodological aspects of linguistic prejudice and language variation and change. It is also essential reading for social psychologists with an interest in attitudes, attitude change and prejudice.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover
Half Title
Series Information
Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Figures
Tables
Acknowledgements
1 English in England: The North and the South
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Englishness and the North-South Divide
1.3 English in England
1.4 Northern English
1.5 Southern English
References
2 Investigating Explicit and Implicit Language Attitudes
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Conceptualising Attitudes
2.2.1 Implicit Attitudes
2.3 Language Attitude Research
2.3.1 Indirect (Unobtrusive) Measures of Language Attitudes
2.3.2 Direct Measures of Language Attitudes
2.3.3 Implicit Measures of Language Attitudes
2.3.4 Social Differentiation in Language Attitudes
2.3.5 Implications of Language Attitudes
2.3.6 Language Attitude Change
2.4 Language Attitude Research in England
2.4.1 Research Niche
References
3 Methodology
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Study Objectives and Hypotheses
3.3 Population and Participant Recruitment
3.4 Materials
3.4.1 Implicit Language Attitude Measures: The Implicit Association Test
3.4.2 Instrument 1a: Status Implicit Association Test
3.4.2.1 Attitudinal Object Dimensions
3.4.2.2 Evaluative Attributes
3.4.2.3 Speech Stimulus and Speakers 1: Auditory IAT
3.4.2.4 Speech Stimulus and Speakers 2: Linguistic Variable and Variants
3.4.2.5 Speech Stimulus and Speakers 3: Speech Recordings and Speakers
3.4.3 Instrument 1b: Social Attractiveness Implicit Association Test
3.4.4 Summary of IAT Instruments and Procedure
3.4.5 Instrument 2a: Status Explicit Language Attitude Measure
3.4.6 Instrument 2b: Social Attractiveness Explicit Language Attitude Measure
3.4.7 Instrument 3: Social Dominance Orientation (SDO) Measure
3.4.8 Instrument 4: Demographic Information
3.5 Ethical Issues
3.6 Pilot Study
3.7 Procedure
References
4 Results and Preliminary Discussion
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Participant Demographics
4.3 Explicit Attitudes Towards Northern English and Southern English Speech
4.3.1 Preliminary Analysis: Reliability and Structure of the Explicit Attitude Scales
4.3.2 Descriptive Statistical Analysis of Explicit Ratings
4.3.3 Inferential Statistical Analysis of Explicit Ratings
4.4 Implicit Attitudes Towards Northern English and Southern English Speech
4.5 The Relationship Between Implicit and Explicit Attitudes
4.6 The Influence of Individual Differences Upon Implicit and Explicit Attitudes
4.6.1 Regional Affiliation
4.6.2 Strength of Regional Affiliation
4.6.3 Gender
4.6.4 Age
4.6.5 Social Dominance Orientation (SDO)
4.6.6 Effect of Individual Differences On Implicit-Explicit Attitudinal Discrepancy (IED)
4.6.6.1 Regional Affiliation in England
4.6.6.2 Gender
4.6.6.3 Age
4.6.6.4 Social Dominance Orientation
References
5 Wider Discussion and Conclusions
5.1 Introduction
5.2 English Nationals’ Explicit Language Attitudes Towards Northern English and Southern English Speech
5.3 English Nationals’ Implicit Language Attitudes Towards Northern English and Southern English Speech
5.4 The Influence of Individual Differences
5.4.1 Regional Affiliation
5.4.2 Gender
5.4.3 Social Dominance Orientation (SDO)
5.5 Comparing and Contrasting Implicit and Explicit Language Attitudes
5.5.1 Age
5.6 Final Remarks, Limitations and the Future
References
Index