A foreign language leads to rational thinking

Thinking in a foreign language may lead to more rational decisions, because most people cannot separate rationality from emotion due to their native language, which clouds logical thinking, scientists from the University of Chicago concluded.

"Emotional reaction can lead to decisions that are motivated more by fear than by hope," said Sayuri Hayakawa, co-author of the study.

In the experiment, students whose mother tongue was English and who also speak Spanish very well were tested. Based on previous studies, scientists knew that the group that participated in the experiment included people who were not prone to risky decisions and often missed favorable opportunities.

A new study found that their fears and indecisiveness disappeared as soon as they were asked to make decisions while thinking in Spanish.

Respondents could bet on a coin toss. The bet was one dollar. If they won the bet they would earn 1,5 dollars, and if they lost the bet they would lose one dollar. Statistically speaking, if they had placed all 15 bets they would still have won because the chance of winning is half-half.

Students thinking in English accepted the bet 54 percent of the time, while those thinking in Spanish accepted the bet 71 percent of the time.

"People who routinely make decisions in a foreign language may be less biased in their decisions, and this can be very beneficial in the long run," the authors of the study said. Huffingtonpost.