When nonstandard meets standard: Language and affective dynamics in accent-diverse group interactions

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Communication Studies
• Sociolinguistics

Background:

• Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) often examines newcomer adaptation.
• Less research explores how newcomers impact existing group dynamics, especially in accent-diverse settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how a standard-accented newcomer affects nonstandard-accented participants' linguistic patterns and affect.
• To understand the influence of newcomers on established group interactions and dynamics.

Main Methods:

• Exploratory research using 49 online group discussions with 102 nonstandard-accented participants.
• A standard-accented confederate newcomer joined sessions midway, with linguistic patterns and affect analyzed.

Main Results:

• Participants converged linguistically toward the newcomer, showed more speech errors, higher clout, and reduced authenticity.
• Fewer filler words were used, indicating disrupted interaction dynamics.
• Positive affect strongly predicted perceived interaction quality, outweighing negative affect.

Conclusions:

• Newcomers can disrupt linguistic patterns while maintaining positive affect in accent-diverse groups.
• Findings suggest a complex adaptation dynamic where newcomers may be perceived as facilitative despite linguistic shifts.
• Implications for group integration and second-language training are significant.