Quickie: Do You Imitate Your Partner’s Accent?
Why imitation is the sincerest form of relationship understanding
Whether you’re with someone who comes from across the country or across the world, it’s natural that you’re going to, at some point, imitate your partner’s accent or the language they use. Although it may be annoying to some people, or endearing to others, research shows this habit is actually good for communication in a relationship. After all, the old adage tells us that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery — and in these cases, it can be an excellent way to understand partners that speak in a different manner.
“If people are talking to each other, they tend to sort of move their speech toward each other.”
In a study published in Psychological Science, Patti Adank, Peter Hagoort, and Harold Bekkering conducted an experiment where Dutch volunteers were asked to listen to someone with a strange accent — which unbeknownst to them, was entirely made up by the researchers — and then repeat the sentences they heard. Later, participants were tested on how well they understood these sentences and the study authors found that those who imitated the unknown accent were better able to understand the words they heard.
