A study by the University of Cambridge reveals that men with accents from regions like Liverpool and Bradford are perceived as more likely to commit crimes. Cockney accents are viewed as the most working-class, while Glaswegian accents are associated with defending harassment victims. Researchers analyzed recordings across ten English accents and found that Received Pronunciation (RP) is linked to higher social status and less perceived criminal behavior. The study indicates inherent biases in the criminal justice system, prompting the development of guidelines to mitigate the influence of vocal stereotypes on legal decisions, as these perceptions can lead to serious consequences.
Men with accents from regions such as Liverpool and Bradford are perceived to be more likely to commit crime, a study has found.
Researchers at the University of Cambridge also found that Cockney accents are seen as the most working-class in Britain, and Glaswegians are seen as most likely to defend someone who is being harassed. .
To gather their findings, the researchers used recordings and received pronunciation (RP) of men speaking English in 10 accents: Belfast, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool, Cockney and Newcastle. did.
The latter were associated with southern England and the upper classes, ranking highest in terms of wealth and self-confidence.
RPs are also perceived to be the least likely to engage in physical assault, shoplifting, and dangerous driving, while working-class accents are more strongly associated with criminal behavior.
Lead researcher Alice Paver said the findings highlight “the disadvantages that people who speak some accents may still face in the criminal justice system”.
“Police officers, lawyers and jurors all tend to base their opinions on stereotypes, whether they realize it or not,” Paver told the Times.
“As it stands, listeners think some accents sound more sinister than others, and we should all be concerned about that.”
The result was even worse news for those from Merseyside, as people were more likely to think the Scouser had betrayed or assaulted his partner (Photo: Penny Lane Road, Liverpool)
As part of the study, 180 people from across the UK were assigned to two surveys.
One of these groups was asked to rate the voices according to 10 class- and personality-related categories.
The other asked them to rate how likely they were to have committed a variety of crimes and acts, including defending victims of harassment, infidelity, and physical assault.
This result was even more bad news for people on Merseyside, as people were more likely to think that the Scouser had betrayed or assaulted his partner.
People with accents from regions such as Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff and Glasgow were perceived as most likely to display kindness, honesty and friendliness.
When it comes to sexual assault, RP ranks well behind Cockney and Liverpudlian accents, indicating a “changing perception of the types of men who can and do commit sexual crimes”. There is a possibility that
Paver said her team is currently developing new guidelines for police, lawyers, judges and juries, but supports the use of pretests to screen for vocal bias.
“We also hope that anyone who encounters audio evidence in the criminal justice system is warned not to let bias based on voice or accent influence their decisions.
“These stereotypes can have real legal consequences.”