No abstract

The study reported here represents the culmination of the development and application of a research strategy whereby hypotheses generated in the clinical circumstance are transposed to a behavioral realm where more rigorous, reproducible, reliable, and valid experimentation is feasible (Guiora 1970). Our concern has chiefly been to apply this strategy to the concept of empathy, choosing as the transposed realm of behavior, language, in particular, authenticity of pronunciation of a second language. In a series of studies we investigated the hypothesis that empathy plays a significant role in the ability to authentically pronounce a second language. The measure which proved to be most successful in predicting authenticity of pronunciation was the Micro‐Momentary Expression (MME) test as modified by us. The present study confirms the original hypothesis that empathy as measured by the MME is positively related to the ability to authentically pronounce a second language. Essentially the MME measure coupled with the Verbal Mental Reasoning test of intelligence and a simple but apparently effective measure of motivation provide, we believe, a major contribution to the prediction of pronunciation ability. Adding the Army Language Aptitude Test as a linguistic measure, the combined instruments constitute a powerful predictive battery.

Starting with an interest in basic psychological processes, whose complexity is matched only by the difficulty of their study, we developed what seemed to us to be more appropriate research strategies—the so‐called transpositional research—and forged a link between the acquisition of native‐like second language pronunciation ability and certain personality constructs, such as empathy. From there we pursued over the years a line of inquiry that studied the influence of language on person and person on language. While engaging in this basic research we were able to reap incidental pay‐offs in the several instruments we produced: the STP, MME and the MIGIT.