On the reliability of the foreign language effect on risk-taking

Sayuri Lynn Hayakawa; Becky Ka Ying Lau; Sophie Holtzmann; Albert Costa; Boaz Keysar

doi:10.1177/1747021817742242

On the reliability of the foreign language effect on risk-taking

Sayuri Lynn Hayakawa, Becky Ka Ying Lau, Sophie Holtzmann, Albert Costa, Boaz Keysar

Communication Sciences and Disorders

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

36 Scopus citations

Abstract

People consider choices that involve risk on a daily basis. In principle, willingness to take risks should be independent of the language used while considering the available options. However, research has shown that using a foreign language can increase willingness to take risks, presumably because a foreign language is less emotional. Here, we investigate the robustness of this effect of language on risk by varying participant language background and methodological design features. In addition, we investigate whether using a foreign language increases risk-seeking behaviour in general, or whether it promotes a more strategic approach to risk. Four experiments reveal mixed results regarding the effect that using a foreign language has on risk-taking. Experiment 1 clearly shows that using a foreign language increases strategic risk-taking compared with using a native tongue. In contrast, Experiments 2 and 3 find no effect of the native-ness of language on risk-taking. Experiment 4 supports the idea that using a foreign language promotes risk-taking in general compared with using a native language. We discuss these mixed results in the context of previous findings and suggest potential directions for future research to clarify the effect of language on risk-taking.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	29-40
Number of pages	12
Journal	Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology
Volume	72
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/1747021817742242
State	Published - Jan 1 2019

Funding

This research was partially funded by the University of Chicago’s Wisdom Research Project by the John Templeton Foundation #58345, and grants by the National Science Foundation #1520074 to the University of Chicago, the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness PSI2014-52181-P), the Catalan Government (2014SGR1210), and the European Research Council under the European Community’s Seventh Framework (FP7/ 2007–2013 Cooperation grant agreement 613465-AThEME.

Keywords

Bilingualism
decision making
emotion
foreign language
loss aversion
risk

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Physiology
Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology
Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
General Psychology
Physiology (medical)

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Cite this

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abstract = "People consider choices that involve risk on a daily basis. In principle, willingness to take risks should be independent of the language used while considering the available options. However, research has shown that using a foreign language can increase willingness to take risks, presumably because a foreign language is less emotional. Here, we investigate the robustness of this effect of language on risk by varying participant language background and methodological design features. In addition, we investigate whether using a foreign language increases risk-seeking behaviour in general, or whether it promotes a more strategic approach to risk. Four experiments reveal mixed results regarding the effect that using a foreign language has on risk-taking. Experiment 1 clearly shows that using a foreign language increases strategic risk-taking compared with using a native tongue. In contrast, Experiments 2 and 3 find no effect of the native-ness of language on risk-taking. Experiment 4 supports the idea that using a foreign language promotes risk-taking in general compared with using a native language. We discuss these mixed results in the context of previous findings and suggest potential directions for future research to clarify the effect of language on risk-taking.",

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On the reliability of the foreign language effect on risk-taking

Abstract

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Keywords

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