Embedded dyads: How the personal network relates to linguistic accommodation

Language serves as a key medium through which individuals express and negotiate social belonging. By observing individuals’ behavior within an interaction, we can access the relational stance they adopt and infer the social relationships that link the two interactants. This process is particularly studied within the framework of the Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT). According to CAT, speakers tend to align linguistically with their interlocutors to signal social proximity. Yet, most analyses remain focused on the psychological and dyadic levels, without considering the broader social influences that may shape linguistic choices. In this paper, we argue that considering the relational structure surrounding both interactants is crucial. In particular, we hypothesize that the position of the interlocutor within the speaker’s personal network is a key factor driving linguistic behavior. To address this, we conducted an exploratory empirical investigation with 21 young adults who recorded themselves in an average of three interactions each (resulting in a total of 71 discussions). Their personal networks and linguistic data were both collected. Linguistic similarity was operationalized via the Manhattan distance of intensifier frequency between the respondent (ego) and the interlocutor (alter). We used Generalized Estimating Equation models to test our hypotheses. Results indicate that speakers tend to align linguistically with their interlocutors when the latter occupy a central position within a compositionally homogeneous cluster—that is, when the alter is embedded in a structurally dense subgroup composed of individuals originating from the same social domain.