Vocal Accommodation and Mimicry

Abstract

Interlocutors make a variety of verbal and nonverbal adjustments to facilitate comprehension and enhance relational solidarity. This article examines research on vocal accommodation and mimicry as a specific subset of scholarship on nonverbal adjustments. We begin by introducing communication accommodation theory and discussing how accommodation is similar to and distinct from other related constructs (i.e., reciprocity, synchrony, and mimicry). Next, we discuss a variety of contexts in which researchers have studied vocal accommodation and mimicry, namely romantic and family communication, stranger and friend communication, professional communication, and persuasion. We end by outlining directions for future research, such as examining the implications of vocal accommodation for intergenerational family relationships, and the a priori factors that influence people’s ability and willingness to engage in vocal accommodation and mimicry.