Recent research conducted by the University of Cambridge has revealed that Irish people are the best at detecting when people are using fake accents.
There’s nothing more offensive to our ears than a fake Irish accent, as a recent study by the University of Cambridge has proven.
The study, completed by the University, surveyed people from all across the UK and Ireland to reveal that the Irish are the best at detecting fake accents.
So, don’t even try to trick us into thinking you’re from the Emerald Isle if you aren’t – because we’ll be able to tell right away.
Fear of cultural dilution – the importance of accents for social identity
The recent research by the University of Cambridge revealed a number of reasons why the Irish are best at detecting fake accents.
One of the main reasons it highlighted was due to the fear of cultural dilution by outsiders, which leads to the improved accent recognition.
Dr Jonathan R. Goodman from Cambridge’s Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies was the author of the study.
He said, “Cultural, political, or even violent conflict are likely to encourage people to strengthen their accents as they try to maintain social cohesion through cultural homogeneity.
“Even relatively mild tension, for example the intrusion of tourists in the summer, could have this effect.”
Areas with the best fake accent detections – Ireland, Scotland, and North East England
The study, published in Evolutionary Human Sciences, revealed that those from Scotland and North East England joined the Irish as the best at detecting fake accents.
People from these Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow, and the North East boasted an impressive 65-86 percent success rate, compared to just 50 percent among those living in Essex, London, and Bristol.
Speaking on the research, Dr Goodman said, “One of the first judgments a person will make about another person, and when deciding whether to trust them, is how they speak.
“How humans learn to trust another person who may be an interloper has been incredibly important over our evolutionary history and it remains critical today.”
