Men with regional accents from Liverpool and Bradford are more likely to be perceived as criminals, according to new research from the University of Cambridge.
The study examined how different British accents influence people's perceptions of personality traits and criminal behaviour.
Researchers used recordings of men speaking in ten different accents, including Belfast, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool, Cockney, Newcastle, and received pronunciation.
The findings highlight potential prejudices that could impact the criminal justice system.
To gather their findings, researchers divided 180 people from across the UK into two survey groups.
One group was asked to rate voices according to ten class and personality-related categories.
The second group evaluated how likely the speakers were to have committed various acts, ranging from defending harassment victims to infidelity and physical assault.
The study used male voice recordings featuring ten distinct British accents, including regional variations from major cities and received pronunciation (RP), which is associated with southern England and upper classes.
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RP speakers were ranked highest for wealth and confidence, and were perceived as least likely to commit physical assault, shoplifting or dangerous driving.
The Liverpool accent faced particularly negative stereotypes, with Scouse speakers more likely to be perceived as unfaithful to partners or prone to assault.
The study found RP speakers were among those most associated with sexual assault, ranking just behind Cockney and Liverpool accents.
This finding suggests "shifting perceptions of the type of man who can and does commit sexual offences," according to the research.
Working-class accents were generally more strongly linked to criminal behaviour.
Lead researcher Alice Paver warned about "disadvantage that speakers of some accents may still face in the criminal justice system".
"Police officers, lawyers and juries are all susceptible to judging voices based on stereotypes, whether they're aware of it or not," she told The Times.
"As things stand, listeners think some accents sound guiltier than others, and we should all be concerned about that."
Paver's team is now drafting new guidelines for legal professionals and supports pre-testing to screen for voice bias.
"These stereotypes could have real-life legal consequences," she added.
In contrast to negative stereotypes, speakers from Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff and Glasgow were perceived as the most likely to demonstrate kindness, honesty and friendliness.
The Glasgow accent in particular was associated with people more likely to defend others from harassment.
Find Out More...
The study examined how different British accents influence people's perceptions of personality traits and criminal behaviour.
Researchers used recordings of men speaking in ten different accents, including Belfast, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool, Cockney, Newcastle, and received pronunciation.
The findings highlight potential prejudices that could impact the criminal justice system.
To gather their findings, researchers divided 180 people from across the UK into two survey groups.
One group was asked to rate voices according to ten class and personality-related categories.
The second group evaluated how likely the speakers were to have committed various acts, ranging from defending harassment victims to infidelity and physical assault.
The study used male voice recordings featuring ten distinct British accents, including regional variations from major cities and received pronunciation (RP), which is associated with southern England and upper classes.
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RP speakers were ranked highest for wealth and confidence, and were perceived as least likely to commit physical assault, shoplifting or dangerous driving.
The Liverpool accent faced particularly negative stereotypes, with Scouse speakers more likely to be perceived as unfaithful to partners or prone to assault.
The study found RP speakers were among those most associated with sexual assault, ranking just behind Cockney and Liverpool accents.
This finding suggests "shifting perceptions of the type of man who can and does commit sexual offences," according to the research.
Working-class accents were generally more strongly linked to criminal behaviour.
Lead researcher Alice Paver warned about "disadvantage that speakers of some accents may still face in the criminal justice system".
"Police officers, lawyers and juries are all susceptible to judging voices based on stereotypes, whether they're aware of it or not," she told The Times.
"As things stand, listeners think some accents sound guiltier than others, and we should all be concerned about that."
Paver's team is now drafting new guidelines for legal professionals and supports pre-testing to screen for voice bias.
"These stereotypes could have real-life legal consequences," she added.
In contrast to negative stereotypes, speakers from Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff and Glasgow were perceived as the most likely to demonstrate kindness, honesty and friendliness.
The Glasgow accent in particular was associated with people more likely to defend others from harassment.
Find Out More...