By Brooke Mallory, OAN Staff
Wednesday, September 18, 2024 5:57 PM
Kamala Harris has come under fire during her 2024 presidential campaign for her use of a “fake accent,” which some psychologists believe may be a sign of deception and a lack of confidence.
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Harris, who was born in Oakland, California, and raised in Canada, has been criticized for appearing to have urban, Midwestern, Spanish, Southern and even French accents, depending on who she is speaking to.
On Wednesday, a video emerged of the vice president appearing to speak with a “Spanish accent” during the Congressional Hispanic Caucus' annual leadership meeting, leading social media users to question the vice president's choice.
New York psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert has identified two main reasons why people change their accent, a phenomenon known in psychological circles as the “chameleon effect” or “mirroring.”
“Mirroring is a tactic often used by narcissists and other manipulative people to ingratiate themselves; they project an idealized version of their target back at them… The purpose of reconnaissance is to give the narcissist the tools to effectively mirror their target,” the outlet states. Medium.
“I love you, too,” Harris replied at a supporter rally on Wednesday, in a clear Spanish accent.
Psychology experts Daily Mail They also say that people often do this to demonstrate a desire to sense and empathize with others, which makes them appear more “trustworthy” to the group of people they are trying to convey their message to.
Some people try to blend in by changing their accent because they want to fit in with the person they are speaking to and don't want to feel like an outsider.
“Using a fake accent may also be a result of feeling self-conscious in front of certain groups and feeling that they have to change their basic voice in order to be accepted. To some extent, this is a natural and normal way of dealing with people who they perceive as different from them,” Alpert said.
“It's possible that she feels like she doesn't fit in and is trying to overcompensate by exaggerating her accent.”
“I think there's an element of Harris trying to be accepted by a range of demographics, but I also think it's backfiring,” he concluded.
Harris has been accused of not only changing her accent to appeal to certain groups, but also shifting her political views to reflect the current political climate.
In 2020, at the height of the Black Lives Matter George Floyd protests, Harris strongly supported the “defund the police” movement during an interview with the hosts of “Ebro in the Morning.” Liberals and leftists used social media platforms to post anti-police phrases such as “No sycophants!” and “ACAB,” an acronym for “All Cops Are Assholes.”
This is a stark difference from her 2010 campaign for California attorney general, in which Harris' ad production mimicked the suspenseful artifice of an episode of Law & Order. Daily Mail Reported.
“Our justice system needs fundamental overhaul,” Harris said as she walked with officers, her hair flying in the wind, with helicopters rumbling overhead.
Additionally, Democratic candidate Harris has previously repeatedly vowed to block Donald Trump's border wall plan, even calling it a “waste of taxpayer money” and a “medieval vanity project.” However, in August 2024, Harris suddenly pledged to support a bipartisan bill that would provide hundreds of millions of dollars to continue construction of Trump's wall along the southern border.
Adding fuel to the fire, Harris was a leading advocate of the Green New Deal, which calls for mandatory government climate change policies, in 2019. But in her bid to win the battleground state of Pennsylvania, she denied having previously said she opposed fracking.
Her inconsistent policy changes have drawn criticism for years, but in recent months her fake accent has garnered even more attention, drawing criticism from many Americans who call her shallow, fake and just plain “weird” — a term Democrats have tried to use to criticize Republicans.
“By changing her accent, she could be perceived as insincere or manipulative, which could ultimately erode credibility if audiences perceive her as inauthentic,” Alpert said.
“Authenticity is important to making meaningful connections with voters and if people perceive the accent as insincere, it could undermine Harris' credibility…Harris' attempts to connect with certain groups risk alienating other audiences…If her accent change is seen as pandering or insincere, it could alienate people who see it as a superficial attempt to fit in rather than a genuine expression of solidarity,” he continued.
Meanwhile, another licensed psychologist Today ShowAs Dr. Nan Wise puts it, “You know, when you talk to kids, you talk differently, right?”
“When you talk to someone older, you speak differently. Even when you're speaking to someone who's not your native language, it's an automatic adjustment.”
“Humans are highly social animals, and some of these adaptations are consistent with us being hardwired to connect with and unconsciously mimic aspects of our social environment,” she added.
But a 2021 study led by the University of Pennsylvania found that code-switching is a deliberate, well-considered behavior. While Dr Wise argues that code-switching lends speakers credibility, Alpert argued that Harris' accent may be working against her.
“By changing her accent, she could be perceived as insincere or manipulative, which could ultimately erode credibility if audiences perceive her as inauthentic,” he continued.
“Authenticity is important to building meaningful connections with voters, and if people perceive the accent as insincere, it could undermine Harris' credibility.”
September 17NumberHarris showed off another “fake accent” during a press conference while taking part in a discussion with journalists from the National Association of Black Journalists.
She has also been accused of adopting a fake French accent when addressing scientists at the Pasteur Institute in Paris in 2021, and has previously attempted a strong Southern accent at a rally in Georgia.
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