Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Need to make a tough decision? Don't think in your native language!

This is something that many of you probably had noticed subconsciously before, but only now a  new study published in the Psychological Science magazine shed some more light onto it. (Sorry if I'm not linking directly to it, the paper is not openly available)
Thinking in a language other than your native language improves decisions,
Wired sums up the ongoing research. In part, it is because thinking in a foreign language breaks up your habitual thought process that has manifested itself through cultural influence etc. over the years.

The method of using another language for thought can also be used when writing, even if you are just jotting down a list of groceries you need to shop for. Using the foreign language requires you to think more thoroughly about whatever you are going to do, which results in a better decision, according to the experiments done by the researchers.
Even more profound effects are evident when it comes to personality: immersing oneself in another language has the power to change certain personality traits while using the foreign language.

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