A new study reveals that individuals in the corporate world and higher education sectors are increasingly mirroring each other’s speech patterns to promote inclusivity, according to research from Lancaster University.
During conversations, people often unconsciously mimic gestures, accents, and words used by others. This phenomenon, known as resonance, has notably increased among individuals in higher social classes over the past 20 years, such as corporate leaders, doctors, professors, and politicians.
The rise in resonance could be attributed to changes in corporate communication and higher education in the 2000s, emphasizing values like corporate social responsibility and Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion.
In a recent study titled ‘British conversation is changing: Resonance and engagement in the BNC1994 and the BNC2014’, researchers examined how interaction patterns among different groups of British speakers evolved between 1994 and 2014.
Resonance serves as a key indicator of social inclusion, demonstrating that individuals value and acknowledge what the other person says during conversations. It signifies active engagement and attentiveness.
Findings from the study include a noticeable shift in how British people from diverse social classes interact with each other, with an increasing emphasis on engagement. Lack of resonance may indicate detachment in conversation, as seen in individuals with Autism spectrum disorder.
- Individuals from social categories less aligned with corporate social responsibility and higher education ideologies showed less resonance in their interactions.
- Reusing and creatively integrating words and expressions from the other speaker’s speech demonstrates active engagement and inclusivity.
Dr. Vittorio Tantucci, the lead researcher, explains that incorporating elements from the other person’s speech signals attentiveness and importance. This phenomenon, known as resonance, is more prevalent in higher social classes like those in the corporate and higher education spheres.
Dr. Tantucci illustrates the concept with an example: responding to a statement like ‘February was our busiest month this year‘ with an engaging remark that demonstrates active listening and reuses key words from the initial statement.
This linguistic effort is particularly characteristic of higher social classes today, showing an evolution in how individuals interact within and across different social strata.
