Influence of cognitive control on the moral foreign language effect

Abstract

Purpose: The Moral Foreign Language Effect (MFLE) is characterized by an increase in utilitarian responding when moral dilemmas are presented in a foreign language. Renewed interest in this psycholinguistic phenomenon has led to investigation of its boundary conditions and the modulatory influence of separable dimensions of foreign language experience. However, even when accounting for these additional differences, considerable variability in the MFLE is observed across participants. Recently, cognitive control, a set of mental processes that regulate thinking and behavior, has been identified as a potential modulator of the MFLE. To date, no studies have investigated whether differences in cognitive control influence the emergence of the MFLE. The present study aimed to directly explore this topic in a sample of Mandarin-English bilingual university students in Mainland China. Methodology: Participants responded to a set of moral dilemmas presented in either their native or foreign language and completed a Simon task to assess cognitive control. Findings: We report a dilemma and language context-specific modulatory role for cognitive control on the MFLE. Specifically, when presented in a foreign language, higher levels of cognitive control were associated with higher rates of utilitarian decisions on the classic Trolley dilemma. Originality: This study marks the first empirical investigation of the influence of cognitive control on the MFLE. Significance: Findings from this work highlight the role of cognitive control in moral decision-making and chart a course for future investigations on this topic.