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Research output: Thesis › Doctoral Thesis
Research output: Thesis › Doctoral Thesis
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TY - BOOK
T1 - The Foreign Language Effect (FLE) on moral judgment and the role of foreign language proficiency and emotionality
AU - Christofi, Nikki-Maria
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - This study aims to broaden the understanding of the phenomenon of the foreign language effect (FLE; the systematic influence of a foreign language on decision making; Dylman, & Champoux-Larsson 2020) on our moral decision and judgements. This rising literature topic focuses on how the language we speak when making choices can affect our decisions and moral judgment, however, the precise reasons that the FLE occurs are unclear (Hayakawa et al., 2016). Is it due to disfluency that requires more cognitive effort in processing information in a foreign language or is it due to the reduced emotionality due to the nature in which a second language (L2) is learnt? To provide a clearer image on the role of cognitive effort and the role of reduced emotionality on the FLE the current study was designed in a way that will weight evidence on each scope.Since the cognitive load hypothesis is based on the assumption of disfluency and poorer L2 proficiency, the study addressed this by introducing rigorous proficiency measures, as well as standard fluency tests in the first experiment . The second experiment explores in more depth the role of emotionality, specifically on emotionally charged moral decisions and judgements. Hence, to test of the role of reduced emotionality on the FLE (Hayakawa et al., 2016) more rigorously, the current study employed a validated emotion measure PANAS-X; Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, (Horne et. al, 2016) prior to (Pre-test Emotion Measure) and following (Post-Test Emotion Measure) moral judgements.Conclusive, when measuring proficiency rigorously it does not seem to be a factor that moderates the FLE, however what seems to be driving the FLE phenomenon is language emotionality, specifically, negative affect and emotions of hostility are more prominent in the L1 rather than the L2 after participants have been exposed to the dilemmas.
AB - This study aims to broaden the understanding of the phenomenon of the foreign language effect (FLE; the systematic influence of a foreign language on decision making; Dylman, & Champoux-Larsson 2020) on our moral decision and judgements. This rising literature topic focuses on how the language we speak when making choices can affect our decisions and moral judgment, however, the precise reasons that the FLE occurs are unclear (Hayakawa et al., 2016). Is it due to disfluency that requires more cognitive effort in processing information in a foreign language or is it due to the reduced emotionality due to the nature in which a second language (L2) is learnt? To provide a clearer image on the role of cognitive effort and the role of reduced emotionality on the FLE the current study was designed in a way that will weight evidence on each scope.Since the cognitive load hypothesis is based on the assumption of disfluency and poorer L2 proficiency, the study addressed this by introducing rigorous proficiency measures, as well as standard fluency tests in the first experiment . The second experiment explores in more depth the role of emotionality, specifically on emotionally charged moral decisions and judgements. Hence, to test of the role of reduced emotionality on the FLE (Hayakawa et al., 2016) more rigorously, the current study employed a validated emotion measure PANAS-X; Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, (Horne et. al, 2016) prior to (Pre-test Emotion Measure) and following (Post-Test Emotion Measure) moral judgements.Conclusive, when measuring proficiency rigorously it does not seem to be a factor that moderates the FLE, however what seems to be driving the FLE phenomenon is language emotionality, specifically, negative affect and emotions of hostility are more prominent in the L1 rather than the L2 after participants have been exposed to the dilemmas.
KW - Foreign language effect
KW - language proficiency
KW - language emotionality
KW - moral judgement
KW - Moral dilemmas
KW - cognitive load theory
KW - emotion reduced hypothesis
U2 - 10.17635/lancaster/thesis/2806
DO - 10.17635/lancaster/thesis/2806
M3 - Doctoral Thesis
PB - Lancaster University
ER -