Effects of Jargon and Source Accent on Receptivity to Science Communication

We examined whether source accent moderates jargon's effects on listeners’ processing fluency and receptivity to science communication. Americans heard a speaker describing science using either jargon or non-jargon and speaking with either a native (standard American) or foreign (Hispanic) accent. Compared to non-jargon, jargon disrupted listeners’ fluency for both speakers, but especially the foreign-accented speaker; jargon also reduced information-seeking intentions and perceived source and message credibility, but only for the foreign-accented speaker. Fluency mediated the effects of jargon on outcomes.