Interlocutor modelling in comprehending speech from interleaved interlocutors of different dialectic backgrounds

Area of Science:

• Psycholinguistics
• Sociolinguistics
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Listeners adapt speech interpretation based on interlocutor attributes like dialect.
• Previous research shows listeners favor their own dialect's meaning for ambiguous words.
• The ability to form concurrent models for interleaved speakers remains less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if listeners form concurrent interlocutor models with interleaved speakers of different dialects.
• To determine how listeners select between concurrent models for word meaning access.
• To examine the role of accent and gender cues in interlocutor model selection.

Main Methods:

• Two experiments were conducted using American English (AE) and British English (BE) speakers.
• Participants provided word associates to ambiguous words spoken by AE or BE interlocutors.
• Interlocutors were presented in separate blocks or interleaved within the same block.

Main Results:

• When interlocutors were in separate blocks, listeners used a general interlocutor model, not specific word accent details.
• With interleaved interlocutors, listeners constructed concurrent models and used accent differences to select the appropriate model.
• Gender cues did not influence model selection when accent cues were sufficient.

Conclusions:

• Listeners dynamically construct and utilize interlocutor models for language comprehension.
• Accent details are prioritized over gender cues for selecting between concurrent interlocutor models.
• This study provides insights into the flexibility of human language processing in dynamic social contexts.