Language Can Shape Our Attitudes

Charlemagne, emperor of the Romans, was reported to have said that to speak another language is to take on another soul, but psychologists from Havard University have now found that bilingual individuals attitudes were affected by which language they took their test in.

The language we speak can shape not only our thoughts, but also our implicit preferences, according to a study conducted by Harvard psychologists. Bilingual individuals' opinions of different ethnic groups were found to be influenced by the language in which they took a test measuring their biases.

The study was conducted in two settings: Morocco, with Arabic and French speakers, and the United States, with English and Spanish speakers. In Morocco, participants who took the test in Arabic displayed a stronger preference for other Moroccans, while those who took it in French showed no difference in preference. Similarly, in the United States, participants who took the test in Spanish showed a greater preference for other Hispanics, but this preference disappeared when they took the test in English. ‘It was quite shocking to see that a person could take the same test, within a brief period of time, and show such different results', said one of the scientists behind the research.

The findings challenge the mainstream psychological view that language only influences thought processes, but not thought itself. The study supports the idea that language plays a crucial role in shaping attitudes.

The study highlights the malleability of implicit attitudes, which can be influenced by various factors, including language. By exploring the relationship between language and attitudes, researchers hope to gain a deeper understanding of their nature. The results provide valuable insights into the potential flexibility of attitudes and emphasize the significance of language as a shaper of thoughts and feelings.

The study was supported by Harvard's Weatherhead Center for International Affairs and the Mellon Mays Foundation. The researchers believe that their work will inspire further investigation into the connections between language, thought, and attitudes, contributing to a better understanding of human cognition and behavior.

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