How the Linguistic Context Influences the Decision-Making Process of Bilingual Individuals with a Comparison Between Eastern and Western Languages

摘要

The decision-making process of bilingual individuals differ based on the language used, this phenomenon is called "Foreign Language Effect", and in this paper, the authors will demonstrate just how pervasive and ubiquitous this effect is. To extend the current understanding of this phenomenon, three different games were designed in order to measure risk propensity, preference towards foreign products and empathy. Eight different first languages were tested against two main second languages, English and Chinese, resulting in the collection of 650 data samples. The research was conducted through questionnaires and the results obtained showed that different first languages reacted in different ways to foreign language effects, people are less inclined towards risky behaviour when using a second language, and they generally prefer to buy products when those are presented in their native language. Age and proficiency level do not significantly affect the effect discovered, and there is a reduction in the empathy level when individuals need to take delicate decisions within second language contexts. Some cultural causes have been identified and provide explanations for some of the anomalous behaviour observed in certain first languages, opening future research questions on the role that culture plays in bilingual decision making.