Thinking in foreign language makes decisions more rational

[james]

By Brandon Keim, wired.com | Published April 24, 2012 6:35 PM
To judge a risk more clearly, it may help to consider it in a foreign language.

A series of experiments on more than 300 people from the US and Korea found that thinking in a second language reduced deep-seated, misleading biases that unduly influence how risks and benefits are perceived.

"Would you make the same decisions in a foreign language as you would in your native tongue?" asked psychologists led by Boaz Keysar of the University of Chicago in an April 18 Psychological Science study.

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One of the languages used to conduct the experiment was Japanese.

[Netherlander]

Makes sense. However I think we can simplify the results, by stating that if someone has the mental capacity to learn a second language the chances of having ignorant test subjects would be lower, resulting in pool of test subjects able to perform in more rational decision making.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Makes sense. However I think we can simplify the results, by stating that if someone has the mental capacity to learn a second language the chances of having ignorant test subjects would be lower, resulting in pool of test subjects able to perform in more rational decision making.

I don't think intelligence has much to do with language ability. There are plenty of societies where almost everyone is multilingual.

[yanpa]

I don't think intelligence has much to do with language ability. There are plenty of societies where almost everyone is multilingual.

The study seems to be about people who acquired a second language as a foreign language, not who grew up in a multilingual environment.

[Russell]

The study seems to be about people who acquired a second language as a foreign language, not who grew up in a multilingual environment.

The study also seems to be mostly about people who learn a second language. I doubt whether it works for people who are quite fluent in a foreign language.

Actually, I observed something of an opposite effect for myself: information that I hear or read in Japanese is much harder for me to remember than information obtained in Dutch (my native tongue) or English.

[Coligny]

Actually, I observed something of an opposite effect for myself: information that I hear or read in Japanese is much harder for me to remember than information obtained in Dutch (my native tongue) or English.

The same way reading the Pravda in the 80' was not the best way to keep oneself informed I doubt that japanese news selection/framing really help... They are usually really good at triggering bullshit detectors in paranoids or people not taking anything printed as face value...

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

As a bilingual with a monolingual background, I can attest that I totally lack rationality in any language, let alone be able to do something like think about risks.

[Level3]

Wow. I suppose this study helps explain the Japan-hating blogosphere.
You know, all the losers who taught eikaiwa (or jobs with an even lower skill set, such as freelance journalist ) for years or decades - never really learned Japanese - and have decided all the little problems they cause themselves due to ignorance/lack of language ability (or just plain being an asshole) are proof that Japan is racist, rather than themselves.

Anyway, is there an element of "I'm too white to need to really learn the language of the natives beyond ordering their amusing cuisine in restaurants.. now where's the English menu? RACISTS!"

[Coligny]

Wow. I suppose this study helps explain the Japan-hating blogosphere.
You know, all the losers who taught eikaiwa (or jobs with an even lower skill set, such as freelance journalist ]Japan[/I] is racist, rather than themselves.

Anyway, is there an element of "I'm too white to need to really learn the language of the natives beyond ordering their amusing cuisine in restaurants.. now where's the English menu? RACISTS!"

Either that post qualify for the best non-sequitur reply of the year...

Or I'm missing wayyy too much things to even have the start of a clue....

[IparryU]

As a bilingual with a monolingual background, I can attest that I totally lack rationality in any language, let alone be able to do something like think about risks.

With you on this one... it is not like when I get asked a decision making question in Japanese I say, "soudesune~...." and start sucking my teeth.

more of a personality/culture thing.. if you dont really understand something you will just say yes to go with the flow (very japanesey), or no if you are the type that doesn't agree if you dont understand what the hell is going on.

I can see where the idea is going, but not applicable to everyone.

[matsuki]

Makes sense. However I think we can simplify the results, by stating that if someone has the mental capacity to learn a second language the chances of having ignorant test subjects would be lower, resulting in pool of test subjects able to perform in more rational decision making.

The study involves Americans fluent in Japanese....mental capacity is not what reeks from this group...

[IparryU]

so fucking retarded... and embarrassing for them to be Americans...

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

... and embarrassing for them to be Americans...

Is such a thing possible?

[matsuki]

Is such a thing possible?

I tell people I play hockey and let everyone assume I'm Canadian

[plaid_knight]

Eh, that photo is from a convention. It looks silly but they put a lot of effort into making those costumes. I've seen much weirder stuff.

[Coligny]

Eh, that photo is from a convention.

Thank you captain obvious

It looks silly

Thank you captain obvious

but they put a lot of effort into making those costumes.

Thank you captain obvious

I've seen much weirder stuff.

That don't make them any less embarassing...

But compared to the guys behind the murder of Saddham Hussein... I'd let those clowns live one more day...

[Russell]

But compared to the guys behind the murder of Saddham Hussein... I'd let those clowns live one more day...

Wasn't he just executed?

You probably mean Khadaffi?

[Coligny]

Nah, Gaddafi was a senile carpet salesman, he shook the hand of the janitor thinking he was the french president:



Saddam was a man of taste and mystery... usually wearing beret and mustache, love mistress and red wine, looking awesome in tuxedo... a true frenchman...



He even got his theme song:

[yt]CliBi0DpA2s[/yt]

[Russell]

Saddam was a man of taste and mystery... usually wearing beret and mustache, love mistress and red wine, looking awesome in tuxedo... a true frenchman...

Yeahhh, Sadam. Was such a cool guy. But had the wrong type of friends...

[SIZE="1"][color="Gray"]You knew what you were doing by selecting this particular pic, ain't it?[/color][/SIZE]

And then that vid, holy fornicate, where do you find that shit. Mir geht's zum kotzen!

[YT]LYg9CboQVJo[/YT]

[Coligny]

Yeahhh, Sadam. Was such a cool guy. But had the wrong type of friends...

You knew what you were doing by selecting this particular pic, ain't it?

I didn't want to directly put this video...

[yt]a_Y3mOGDey4[/yt]

And then that vid, holy fornicate, where do you find that shit. Mir geht's zum kotzen!

Wait you nevar heard of GWAR...

[Russell]

I didn't want to directly put this video...

[yt]a_Y3mOGDey4[/yt]

This vid gives me the following message:

"This video contains content from Viacom, who has blocked it on copyright grounds".

Should I look for a new provider, or do you use some trick?

[Coligny]

Fooking youtube

[dm]xqekcp[/dm]
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k1MtbXJZu2TVDH305lL
and fuck daily motion...

try this instread:

>>DAILY SHOW<<

[cstaylor]

Thinking in foreign language makes decisions more rational

FTFY. It isn't switching languages as much as disengaging the normal reactionary responses that makes us seem more rational. It happens in same-language studies when the person responding is asked to wait roughly 20 seconds before giving an answer.

[sublight]

Sounds like a variant of what Richard Feynmann (I think. Maybe it was Sagan?) always used to say about science: If you can't explain it to a child, you don't really understand it.

[Big Booger]

FTFY. It isn't switching languages as much as disengaging the normal reactionary responses that makes us seem more rational. It happens in same-language studies when the person responding is asked to wait roughly 20 seconds before giving an answer.

So basically the pause and then time to think makes one seem more rational?

[cstaylor]

So basically the pause and then time to think makes one seem more rational?

That was one of the points brought up in "The Righteous Mind", but instead of foreign languages it was dealing with gut reactions to situational morality. The momentary delay gave the mind time to process the information more thoroughly instead of simply reacting in the moment.

[Coligny]

Sounds like a variant of what Richard Feynmann (I think. Maybe it was Sagan?) always used to say about science: If you can't explain it to a child, you don't really understand it.

Sort of, but the root is French from Nicolas Boileau in 1674 in his poem "L'art Poetique" chant I.

"Ce que l'on conç][I] Et les mots pour le dire arrivent aisément."

"What is well understood is expressed clearly, And the words to say it come easily.

That's why I immediately dismissed any clown talking aboot how difficult radiation measurement is or that "it's a Science" and offering little to no explanations clearly showing that it was just a cheap trick for ego boosting... I don't know any concept that can't be introduced without poop and fart metaphors, no matter how complicate it is... sure after a bit of progress in the teaching you start to need to use real words related to the field in question... But for day-1 introduction... nope... nopity no...

In short... if your only contribution to a topic is to say "It's too hard for you"... you might want to go fuck yourself with a broomstick... And don't get me started with the nazis on a payroll who don't allow anybody to have an opinion on the field they are paid for working...

[sonofsam]

Sounds like a variant of what Richard Feynmann (I think. Maybe it was Sagan?) always used to say about science: If you can't explain it to a child, you don't really understand it.

Yup, that was Feynman. I think he said that if they couldn't explain a theory to freshman then it wasn't a good theory.

What about keigo? I wonder if Japanese think more rationally if (somehow) forced to operate in the formal language.

[Buraku]

The worlds of Polyglot Multilingualism, at one time a guy Noam Chomsky was worshiped, the father of language study, "revolutionized language" Noam Chomsky speaks English, Yiddish and Hebrew, he sort of also has some understanding of French, German and also know some of the spitting coughing Quranic Koranimal noises that Arabs make

maybe in the end AI will be inside a Cyborg person's glasses and ears

'Chomsky' school of language has now been replaced by many, many people who just went out there and learned a lot more. Some speak a dozen languages.

Online they sell their skills of 多言語 the social media 'Polyglot' multi lingual

Japanese Polyglot Speaks Different Languages