A UK based study has found that people with Belfast accent were perceived as less likely to commit a crime.
Researchers asked 180 participants to listen to recordings of 10 male voices with different accents and rate a series of statements on social traits and behaviours.
The accents were: Belfast, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Newcastle and standard southern British English (SSBE), also referred to as RP.
Rosanne And Megan
“We’re just friendly people!”: Study finds people with Belfast accent perceived as less likely to commit crime
Participants who listened to the accents were asked to rate statements about behaviours for them, including “drive dangerously”, “physically assault someone”, “shoplift”, “touch someone sexually without consent” and “vandalise a shop front”.
The study indicated that the Liverpool and Bradford accents were perceived as most likely to behave in criminal ways.
Whereas accents from outside England, like Belfast and Glasgow were perceived as less likely to commit a crime.
But many Belfast locals didn’t agree with the research findings.
“I would feel the complete opposite of that – I would be surprised that people say it’s one of the least [likely to commit a crime], I would say it’s one of the higher ones,” Abbey, 19, said.
Her friend Elliott, 20, agrees.
Abbey and Elloitt
Elliott believes the Republic of Ireland’s accent sounds friendlier than the Northern Irish one.
“I would say it’s the more southern Ireland accents, I would say they sound very honest and soft spoken,” Elliot said.
He admits he would perceive someone with a London accent as more likely to commit a crime than someone from Belfast.
“I think like the typical roadman accent – I think like the South London direction,” Elliott said.
Friends, Louie, 18, Eden, 20, and Orla, 19, expected the Belfast accent to be perceived as more likely to commit a crime.
“I think it would be like in the top ten,” Eden said.
Orla suggested that it could be the Northern Irish dialect that means the Belfast accent is perceived as less likely to commit a crime.
“I feel like our colloquialisms are just friendly,” Orla said.
“We are just friendly people,” Louie added.
Louie, Eden and Orla
Roseanne and Megan believe the Belfast accent may have been perceived as less likely to commit a crime because some people think it sounds posher than an English accent.
“Is it some sort of class thing? Like if you sound posh you are less likely to commit a crime?” Roseann said.
Oran, 19, thinks the harsh tone of the Belfast accent makes it seem more trustworthy.
“It’s a lot harder in Glasgow and here, it’s a lot harder than London or the likes of that,” he said.
Like many of those involved in the study, Oran said he would assume someone with a Birmingham accent is more likely to commit a crime.
Oran