Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson

How Speech Shapes Your Identity with Dr. Katherine Kinzler

Jul 5, 2021

01:00:34

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Dr. Katherine Kinzler, a pioneering psychologist and author from the University of Chicago, discusses how our speech profoundly shapes our social identity. She delves into how we categorize people based on accents and dialects, revealing deep-rooted biases that influence our perceptions of 'like me' versus 'not like me.' The conversation explores language acquisition, linguistic prejudice, and the consequences faced by marginalized dialects. Kinzler advocates for addressing these biases early, fostering an inclusive dialogue around language, identity, and community.

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Quick takeaways

Language and dialect are crucial indicators of social identity, affecting how individuals categorize and perceive one another in social contexts.

Cognitive biases influenced by accents can lead to prejudiced views, impacting listeners' judgments about intelligence and credibility based solely on speech.

Early exposure to multiple languages fosters empathy and nuanced communication skills in children, promoting inclusivity and reducing linguistic prejudice.

Deep dives

Language as a Social Identity Marker

Language and dialect serve as powerful indicators of social identity, reflecting the backgrounds and communities from which individuals hail. The way a person speaks can signal their upbringing, accent, and cultural heritage, influencing how they are perceived by others. For instance, children often use dialect to categorize peers, showing preference for those who speak in familiar and native accents. This tendency highlights the need for awareness about how language shapes our social interactions and the judgments we make about others.

Intro

2min

Language, Identity, and Perception

6min

The Psychology of Language and Social Categorization

20min

Exploring Linguistic Prejudice and Identity

4min

The Impact of Linguistic Bias in Communication

22min

Talking About Tough Topics Early

7min

Exploring Language, Identity, and Community Engagement

1min

Forrest is joined by pioneering psychologist Dr. Katherine Kinzler to explore how our speech shapes our social identity, and the views we hold about other people.

A big part of human nature is to rapidly sort people into two groups: “like me,” and “not like me.” Our general tendency is to gravitate toward people we perceive as “like me,” and avoid and oppose people we perceive as “not like me.” We use many different kinds of markers to determine which group a person belongs to: markers like perceived race, gender, political affiliation, and social class.

But there’s an often-overlooked factor that might influence how we view ourselves and others even more powerfully: the way we speak.

About Our Guest: Dr. Kinzler is a professor of psychology at the University of Chicago, and the leader of the Development of Social Cognition Laboratory. She’s also the author of the wonderful book How You Say It: Why You Talk the Way You Do―And What It Says About You.

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Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube.

Key Ideas:

2:25: Why language is such an important signifier of identity.

8:15: Why the brain cares so much about categories.

10:50: Brain plasticity and early language acquisition.

13:50: Language bias and dialectical prejudice.

19:15: Interventions for limiting linguistic prejudice.

23:00: How dialect changes as identity changes.

28:50: Consequences of dialectical prejudice.

34:30: Dialectical prejudice in the courtroom.

36:30: What can we do about dialect prejudice?

40:50: Positive results of bilingual exposure.

45:00: Becoming a better communicator.

49:00: Katherine’s “wave a magic wand” change.

51:30: When to start talking with kids about language.

53:00: Recap

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