No foreign language effect in incentivized gambles with verbal probability expressions

Borkowska, Anna; Milczarski, Wojciech; Białek, Michał

doi:10.31234/osf.io/t2c9a

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…As the research on the foreign language effect progresses, the effect appears more complex and malleable than initially hoped. For example, we found no foreign language effect on risky choice ( Borkowska et al 2023 ; Muda et al 2020 ) and using a foreign language has been shown to distort the ability to delay gratifications ( Białek et al 2022 ), reason logically ( Białek et al 2020 ) or the ability to discern true from false news ( Muda et al 2023 ). Numerous studies from other labs are also reporting no effects of using a foreign language on decision-making.…”

Section: The Foreign Language Effectmentioning

confidence: 67%

Why Should We Study the Foreign Language Effect: Debiasing through Affecting Metacognition?

Białek

2023

J. Intell.

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Debiasing is a method of improving people’s decisions by reducing their reliance on salient intuitions causing them to behave suboptimally or biasedly. However, many of the known debiasing techniques have limited effectiveness or can only remedy a one-shot decision, rather than having a lasting impact. In this work, I focus on the role of metacognition in debiasing decision-making and discuss how it can be better understood through the lens of the foreign language effect. The foreign language effect suggests that using a foreign language can sometimes benefit people’s decision-making without providing them with additional information or instructions regarding the task. However, we do not fully understand how the foreign language effect works and its limitations. I conclude by urging scientists to research this effect with the hope of having a lasting positive impact on society.

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Section: The Foreign Language Effectmentioning

confidence: 67%

Why Should We Study the Foreign Language Effect: Debiasing through Affecting Metacognition?

Białek

2023

J. Intell.

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Framing the Default

Chandrashekar,

Fillon

2024

Experimental Psychology

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A key finding within nudging research is the default effect, where individuals are inclined to stay with a default option when faced with a decision, rather than exploring alternatives (e.g., a preselected job opportunity among two alternatives). Similarly, the study of framing effects delves into how the presentation and context of decisions influence choices (e.g., choosing vs. rejecting a job opportunity among two alternatives). Specifically, previous literature examining choosing versus rejecting decision frames in various situations has found that these frames do not invariably complement each other; therefore, individuals’ preferences vary based on the task frame. Yet, simultaneous testing of multiple nudges remains relatively unexplored in the literature. In the current study involving 1,072 participants, we examined how framing and default effects can influence decision-making in hypothetical scenarios. The decision scenarios involved two different domains—work and health. We found that framing had a strong effect on decision-making in both work and health domains, whereas default setting contributed only to a limited extent in the work domain and no effect was found in the health domain, mirroring related recent research findings. We argue for a more careful design of nudge interventions when multiple overlapping nudges are used and for a contextual approach to applying behavioral science to citizens.

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Using a foreign language does not make you think more: Null effects of using a foreign language on cognitive reflection and numeracy

Milczarski,

Borkowska,

Paruzel-Czachura

et al. 2023

International Journal of Bilingualism

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Aims and objectives/purpose/research questions: Using a foreign language is suggested to affect how we think, even reducing bias. However, the exact mechanisms of its influence are still unknown. In this project, we tested two variants of the “thinking more” mechanism driving the foreign language effect: increased cognitive reflection and greater task engagement. Design/methodology/approach: We analyzed previously collected data from five experiments employing the Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT) and/or the Berlin Numeracy Test (BNT), each administered in the native or foreign language. If the increased reflection explanation is true, the CRT score should be higher in participants using a foreign language. If the greater task engagement explanation is true, the BNT score should be higher in participants using a foreign language. Data and analysis: We report data from N = 1,288 participants who filled the CRT and N = 413 who filled the BNT. Data were analyzed using the NHST approach and its Bayesian alternative over a spectrum of liberal, default, and conservative priors. Data are publicly available at https://osf.io/m8tn9 Findings/conclusions: All the test results were nonsignificant and showed anecdotal to strong evidence that neither the CRT nor the BNT scores improved in the foreign language condition, also when controlling for proficiency. The proportion of intuitive to computational errors was also unaffected. Originality: We are the first to comprehensively test the thinking-more explanation of the foreign language effect. Significance/Implications: Our results undermine the claim that using a foreign language promotes more cognitive reflection or engagement. The foreign language effect likely has a different cause.

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No foreign language effect in incentivized gambles with verbal probability expressions

Cited by 4 publications

References 10 publications

Why Should We Study the Foreign Language Effect: Debiasing through Affecting Metacognition?

Why Should We Study the Foreign Language Effect: Debiasing through Affecting Metacognition?

Framing the Default

Using a foreign language does not make you think more: Null effects of using a foreign language on cognitive reflection and numeracy

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