Thinking in a foreign language forces you to make better decisions do you agree?

[kurdapia]

A lot of people do not think entirely in words. Out thoughts are a combination of images, ideas and notions. Some say if you want to reach an unbiased decision, try processing your thoughts in a foreign language. The process may be a bit difficult for most thereby eliminating the need to use your emotions to color your perceptions and choices.

[takibari]

I find this a bit odd. Primarily because to me decision-making has a lot to do with weighing the pros and cons of things. I doubt if I can make the best decision to a given dilemma if I have to express the pros and cons in a different language. Besides, if I were to weigh things and use a foreign language, I'm only deluding myself.

[agentzero]

2 hours ago, takibari said:

I find this a bit odd. Primarily because to me decision-making has a lot to do with weighing the pros and cons of things. I doubt if I can make the best decision to a given dilemma if I have to express the pros and cons in a different language. Besides, if I were to weigh things and use a foreign language, I'm only deluding myself.

I agree, unless it's some small decision like what I'll have for breakfast, I will weigh pros and cons, measure risk and reward and proceed that way, regardless of the language I'm thinking in or speaking my choice or decision process. However, I have never tried this and although I do consider it odd, I can't say if it works.

[lushlala]

Hmm this is a very interesting argument, one I'm not sure I agree with at all. I speak English and think in English more than I do in my own language, but I doubt my thought processes would be any different if they were in my native language. IDK maybe I should start making a concerted effort if indeed this argument holds true. 

[Wanda Kaishin]

15 hours ago, takibari said:

Thinking in a foreign language forces you to make better decisions do you agree?

Nope.

[Heda]

I don't agree either..don't know why..it doesn't sound true to me..

[anna3101]

I don't agree as well. Just as takibari, I normally make a list of pros and cons, and it surely is much easier to do in a native language.

[Chris_A]

I don`t think you could make better choices if you think a foreign language. That has nothing to do with foreign languages at all. Although I tend to think in English as well as Romanian or Hungarian, I do that only for convenience sake.

[AExAVF]

Whenever I study Japanese, I would try to think and act like a Japanese salaryman.  But honestly, I don't think I can make better decisions, as I will always be prone to making and committing mistakes. 

[takibari]

While I did mention before that I find 'thinking in a foreign language in decision-making' a bit odd, this, however, juggled my memory regarding a discussion back during my university days. Pardon me, but it's been yearssssssssss since I was a college sophomore (circa 1999, haha!). So, I asked my good friend Google and led me to this article: "THINKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE MAKES DECISIONS MORE RATIONAL." Anyway, for everyone to have a better idea and for a more livelier discussion, I encourage you guys to read the article. It's an interesting study and might give you a clearer perspective.

[lushlala]

Thanks for sharing @takibari....I found this article interesting reading! -and while I appreciate that there was extensive research concluding in this 'weird' theory',  I'm still not convinced, to be honest. I still maintain that at the very core of my thought processes, is the essence of ME and all my quirks. I don't see how thinking in a foreign language would suddenly result in a 'personality transplant' of sorts, leading to altogether different and more rational decisions that I would otherwise not make, were I thinking in my native language. It just doesn't make any sense to me at all. 

[takibari]

I understand where you're coming from @lushlala, I myself isn't as convinced, too. But that's the beauty of conducting experiments. We always start with an idea that something is such, but when it is put to a test by asking several respondents in a controlled setting or whatever, results can either amaze us [when what we think to be the case, isn't at all] or be vindicated that you thought right all along.

Anyhow, from the article I gathered that the study is premised along the lines of the respondents having full grasp of the second language. That is, the subjects have a degree of fluency in the second language. IF I were a newbie of the second language, then I would probably find it curious and impossible (honestly, bordering on the stupid, hehe) to be thinking in the foreign language when making a decision. [which was where my initial response was based from]

BUT I am a bit inclined to believe now that using a foreign language can indeed lead to rational decisions provided that there is already a degree of fluency. Meaning, you have no problem formulating your pros and cons in the second language. A lot of one's biases may be omitted when thinking things as they are.

[shadejb]

I do sometimes think in a foreign language, not to base my entire decision on it but to see if that decision "make sense". The rationale is that why you would know how to express pros and cons, weighing opinions in your native language, you are also more like to inject your own bias into it. If you have a bad opinion on something, it's more likely that you will use a negative expression for it. In your native tongue, it is much easier to do that, you can simply think about it and done. But if I have to choose an expression in a language I'm not entirely familiar with, I would probably stick with a neutral tone for most of the time. I think that's where the objectivity comes from, you don't need to judge the whole idea in a another language, just double check it.

[lushlala]

17 hours ago, takibari said:

I understand where you're coming from @lushlala, I myself isn't as convinced, too. But that's the beauty of conducting experiments. We always start with an idea that something is such, but when it is put to a test by asking several respondents in a controlled setting or whatever, results can either amaze us [when what we think to be the case, isn't at all] or be vindicated that you thought right all along.

Anyhow, from the article I gathered that the study is premised along the lines of the respondents having full grasp of the second language. That is, the subjects have a degree of fluency in the second language. IF I were a newbie of the second language, then I would probably find it curious and impossible (honestly, bordering on the stupid, hehe) to be thinking in the foreign language when making a decision. [which was where my initial response was based from]

BUT I am a bit inclined to believe now that using a foreign language can indeed lead to rational decisions provided that there is already a degree of fluency. Meaning, you have no problem formulating your pros and cons in the second language. A lot of one's biases may be omitted when thinking things as they are.

I still maintain this does not apply to me at all LOL I don't want to take anything away from the findings of this extensive research, because clearly there must be something there. Could it perhaps be more in line with the personality traits of the test subjects? IDK it just strikes me as bizarre.

I personally don't see any logic behind these claims at all, and I say this based on myself as a Setswana speaker (native language) and my English (second language). Granted I speak a lot more English than Setswana, and think more in English than Setswana. I've spoken English virtually all my life so I guess you could say I'm near native", as I've been told in the UK LOL But for the sake of argument, I can say hand on heart that I don't think any differently when I think in Setswana. The basis of my thought process and decision making is is borne more out of who I am, my principles and my personality traits as opposed to what language I think in. It just doesn't make sense to me at all that depending on which language you're thinking in, you would suddenly arrive at varying types of decisions and thought processes. If indeed it's does happen, as we've seen with these test subjects, I would also suggest to the researchers that they may also want to consider personality traits in the whole thing hehe.

 

[Trellum]

I'm not so sure i get it... how can thinking in a different language can lead to better decisions? I don't think that is necessarily true for every language or person, but I guess it can work for some, but I'd not  say it's a rule rather than just an exception. But I did read a while ago something about how some people how thinking in certain languages helped you see things from a different angle or something like that.  But  they never mentioned anything about improved decision making, I applaud you for posting such an alternative statement, because such statements are prone to polemic here and everywhere else  

[Verba]

When I read your post kurdapia, my first impression was oh yeah, it could be possible to think more logically when you process your thoughts in another language. Because of the difficulty of doing so, you use your rational side which may then affect your decision making. Sadly though, I cannot try this as I just know one foreign language and that's English. I often use it when I'm deep in my thoughts for any problem solving I have to make. I do not seem to notice any difference in my decisions. Turns out my personality comes out in my decision making. My values, my beliefs. Is this the emotional side of me? I do no think so. I want to believe I come up with logical decisions since I decide when I am no longer emotional. But perhaps, thinking in a foreign language will give me a more emotionally detached solutions even when I'm emotional. I want to try it but as I've said, I only know English and I am already used to it. So I will not know any difference in my thoughts.

[Alex_F]

Actually, I think it's totally possible. I would not want to underestimate the power of speaking and thinking in another language. For example, other languages often have words that don't translate directly in English. So, if you are trying to explain something you think or feel, maybe your native tongue doesn't quite capture the emotion. Having knowledge of other languages, I believe, adds a facet of understanding to a person's mind. For example, it's been shown that learning math in multiple languages increases one's understanding of math itself. I don't have to reach far in my mind to imagine that decision making and perception can be heightened when done in a foreign tongue. 

[takibari]

On 11/12/2015, 12:41:19, shadejb said:

I do sometimes think in a foreign language, not to base my entire decision on it but to see if that decision "make sense". The rationale is that why you would know how to express pros and cons, weighing opinions in your native language, you are also more like to inject your own bias into it. If you have a bad opinion on something, it's more likely that you will use a negative expression for it. In your native tongue, it is much easier to do that, you can simply think about it and done. But if I have to choose an expression in a language I'm not entirely familiar with, I would probably stick with a neutral tone for most of the time. I think that's where the objectivity comes from, you don't need to judge the whole idea in a another language, just double check it.

I think what you described here is exactly the point made in the study conducted at the University of Chicago on the Language Effect.

Interestingly, a similar study was also conducted in Spain and yielded the same results: (quoting verbatim):

Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona has studied a number of native Spanish speakers and compared their decision making skills in Spanish and again in a foreign language, English.  The study concluded that emotional factors were more prevalent in the decision making process when the participants were using Spanish.  They also showed a tendency to regard risk and certainty differently.

When making decisions whilst using English, the study showed the participants to be more rational, logical and less emotional.  Measurable differences were found in their attitude to avoid loss during the decision making process.

[JakeLamotta]

I don't think that I use any language when I think. Thinking is like an inbuilt sense and I have never felt any need to use words to communicate with myself. So this sounds pretty illogical to me. Don't know about anyone else though.

[OmniHead]

2 hours ago, JakeLamotta said:

I don't think that I use any language when I think. Thinking is like an inbuilt sense and I have never felt any need to use words to communicate with myself. So this sounds pretty illogical to me. Don't know about anyone else though.

We all think in our mother language, this is why you call it "in-built" sense; there is nothing to worry about because thoughts flow automatically in such language that you fully understand because it's spoken at home and you used to listen to it even while being still into your mom's womb.

However here is where the key factor to learn a second or third language lies on; new students tend to put into their mother language whatever they want to express in a second one.

Let me elaborate a bit;

If you tell a student to say in Spanish "how was the weather today?", his mind will probably ramble first to translate in his mind word by word the phrase before coming across with the literal translation; "¿Cómo estuvo el clima hoy?"

However in Spanish people may ask for the same just saying "Que tal el clima de hoy". Nonetheless to understand what is the best approach used to translate a phrase, you need to think of Spanish rather than thinking of English to translate it.

When you learn to think of the language you are studying, learning will be easier and translations more accurate.

 

[KIO5NN8C7DEB15AYGM0U]

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[Wanda Kaishin]

2 hours ago, Mechanic1c said:

The lexicon and phrasing of a language and the ideas that you use it to communicate with do matter. That's why certain synonyms are used more than others in English, as well as cerain phrases (for example, I put "with" after communicate in the previous because it would sound more understandable and convincing, even if it's grammatically incorrect).

I think it's a stretch to assume that it will lead to better decisions, but there's no doubt in my mind that it will lead to different decisions. For example, some languages have idioms that fit certain situations perfectly, and that may help you understand it and assess the situation in a way you otherwise couldn't have so easily in the same way. The very fact that languages are composed of various phrases and words that are pre-existing proves the limits of a language in expressing thoughts, so using a different language will certainly affect thought patterns.

And you quoted me because...?

(Btw, communicate with is grammatically correct.)

[宇崎ちゃん]

3 hours ago, Mechanic1c said:

(for example, I put "with" after communicate in the previous because it would sound more understandable and convincing, even if it's grammatically incorrect).

How is this incorrect?
"I can communicate with my cat" → Correct.
"I can communicate my cat" → O_o

[KIO5NN8C7DEB15AYGM0U]

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[aliangel3499]

11 hours ago, OmniHead said:

We all think in our mother language, this is why you call it "in-built" sense

I find myself agreeing with this. When I was taking Spanish in high school, my teacher would constantly say to think in Spanish rather than to translate into Spanish, but I was never truly able to do this. I had a better understanding of English so my thoughts were translated into English a lot easier.

In regard to the original question, I think the idea of thinking in a foreign language can also give you time to cool down if you're making a decision when angry. It's not always helpful, but it provides time for you to decide whether you actually want to make the decision.