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Breaking magic: Foreign language suppresses superstition.

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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Reading in a foreign language can reduce superstitious beliefs. This effect stems from language-dependent memory, as native languages evoke superstitions more strongly.

Keywords:
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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Linguistic Psychology
  • Social Psychology

Background:

  • Superstitious beliefs are common and influence decision-making.
  • The role of language in modulating cognitive processes is an area of ongoing research.
  • Language-dependent memory suggests that memories are more accessible in the language in which they were encoded.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether using a foreign language can suppress superstitious beliefs.
  • To explore the underlying mechanisms of this potential suppression, specifically language-dependent memory.

Main Methods:

  • Three studies were conducted involving participants reading scenarios in their native or a foreign language.
  • Participants imagined performing actions under superstitious and non-superstitious circumstances.
  • Emotional responses (feelings) towards these scenarios were rated.

Main Results:

  • Reading in a foreign language led to reduced negative feelings towards bad-luck superstitions.
  • Foreign language use also decreased positive feelings towards good-luck superstitions.
  • No significant effect was observed for non-superstitious control scenarios.

Conclusions:

  • Foreign language use can effectively suppress common superstitious beliefs.
  • This suppression is attributed to language-dependent memory, where native languages more strongly evoke ingrained superstitious associations.
  • Findings highlight the impact of linguistic framing on cognitive biases and belief systems.