Evaluative reactions to language stimuli are presumably dynamic events, constantly changing through time as the signal unfolds, yet the tools we usually use to capture these reactions provide us with only a snapshot of this process by recording reactions at a single point in time. This paper outlines and evaluates a new methodology which employs audience response data collection techniques to capture listeners’ real-time reactions to variation in a speech signal. Using bespoke audience response software administered via the Web, we provide evidence that (1) listeners’ reactions to language data can be captured in real-time and (2) recent innovations in statistical analysis can isolate relevant points at which participants express positive or negative evaluations. In conclusion, we suggest that, given the right stimuli, real-time changes in evaluative reaction can be correlated with linguistic variation and so can be used as a way of uncovering the features that are salient in a given language variety.
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