Americans Feel Brits Are Smarter Because of Their Usage of the Word 'Right', Study Reveals

Often one hears common stereotypes about residents of a neighborhood, city, or country as a whole. And while much of such prejudice comes from popular folklore, there can sometimes be scientific explanations as well.

A recently published study by Rutgers University explores how British and American English speakers use the word "right" in conversations, and determined that some feel their British counterparts are 'smarter' because of their word selection.

Researchers involved in the study collected approximately 125 segments of everyday conversation and work discussions, including 70 segments in British English and 55 segments in American English, to develop their analysis.

The study reveals that Americans use "right" to signal they are already knowledgeable about a given topic, while British English speakers use it to indicate that they find what they hear informative and relevant to the ongoing interaction.

Interestingly, this difference in the use of "right" might lead Americans to perceive British speakers as more intelligent than themselves.

The researchers note that these subtle linguistic differences can significantly impact how individuals interact with each other and influence their perceptions of expertise and knowledge. In particular, the study sheds light on how speakers communicate their epistemic stances and the role of different varieties of English and cultural backgrounds in shaping these stances.

Co-author Galina Bolden, a communication professor at Rutgers, highlights the importance of using conversation analysis to understand intercultural communication processes and to learn about different varieties of English and other languages.

The researchers suggest that future research could expand the scope of this study to examine other response particles and their cultural and linguistic implications.

The research was published in Journal of Pragmatics.