Humans are incessant imitators. We unintentionally imitate subtle aspects of each other’s mannerisms, postures and facial expressions. We also imitate each other’s speech patterns, including inflections, talking speed and speaking style. Sometimes, we even take on the foreign accent of the person to whom we’re talking, leading to embarrassing consequences.
UCR psychology professor Lawrence D. Rosenblum and graduate students Rachel M. Miller and Kauyumari Sanchez found that when people lipread from a talker and say aloud what they’ve lipread, their speech sounds like that of the talker.
“Whether we are hearing or lipreading speech articulations, a talker’s speaking style has subtle influences on our own manner of speaking,” Rosenblum says. “This unintentional imitation could serve as a social glue, helping us to affiliate and empathize with each other. But it also might reflect deep aspects of the language function. Specifically, it adds to evidence that the speech brain is sensitive to – and primed by – speech articulation, whether heard or seen. It also adds to the evidence that a familiar talker’s speaking style can help us recognize words.”
source : brain mysteries
Now i know why I change my accent when I listen to people with some other accent. Good to know i have better empathy 😛
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