[Explicit and implicit attitudes toward standard-Japanese and Osaka-dialect language use]

Area of Science:

• Sociolinguistics
• Psychology
• Attitude Research

Background:

• Societal attitudes towards regional dialects can influence social perceptions.
• Understanding the interplay between explicit and implicit attitudes is crucial for analyzing social biases.
• Previous research often indicates a bias favoring standard language forms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of language variation (standard Japanese vs. Osaka dialect) on both explicit and implicit attitudes.
• To compare explicit and implicit attitude measures in assessing perceptions of different Japanese dialects.
• To explore the dynamic relationship between changing explicit attitudes and persistent implicit biases.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the matched-guise technique to present participants with audio stimuli of speakers using standard Japanese and the Osaka dialect.
• Assessed explicit attitudes through direct participant evaluations of speaker traits (warmth, intelligence).
• Measured implicit attitudes using the Implicit Association Test (IAT) to uncover unconscious biases.

Main Results:

• Participants explicitly rated the Osaka-dialect speaker as warmer, indicating a positive shift in explicit attitudes.
• Consistent with prior literature, the standard-Japanese speaker was perceived as more intelligent.
• Implicit Association Test (IAT) results revealed a consistent unconscious bias favoring standard-Japanese language use.

Conclusions:

• Explicit attitudes towards the Osaka dialect have become more positive, particularly regarding warmth.
• Implicit attitudes demonstrate a persistent bias favoring the standard Japanese language, despite positive explicit shifts.
• The study highlights the complex and sometimes divergent nature of explicit and implicit attitude change in response to language use.