Do you stereotype people who have a southern accent as unintelligent?
A recent study shows that we start to show the common bias as early as age five. We associate northern accents to be smart and in control, while southerners to be nice, but less intelligent.
The study found that northern children found southern accents to be strange, but that southern children did not think that away about accents from the north - showing that there is more exposure of northern accents on TV.
When most celebrities and newscasters speak with a northern accent, there is less exposure for all to hear the southern accent and tendency to think it belongs to those that are less prestigious.
