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Language Changes Medical Judgments and Beliefs.
Sayuri Hayakawa1, Yue Pan1, Viorica Marian1
1Northwestern University.
The International Journal of Bilingualism : Cross-Disciplinary, Cross-Linguistic Studies of Language Behavior
|May 5, 2022
Summary
Bilinguals perceived medical conditions as less severe and endorsed more individualistic decision-making beliefs when using their second language, English. Language significantly impacts health perceptions and choices.
Area of Science:
- Psycholinguistics
- Health Communication
- Decision Science
Background:
- Health risk communication profoundly influences medical judgments and choices.
- Bilingualism presents a unique lens to study how language shapes perception and decision-making.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if processing health information in a native versus second language systematically alters bilinguals' perceptions and preferences.
- To examine the impact of language on judgments of medical conditions and beliefs about medical decision-making.
Main Methods:
- Chinese-English bilinguals (N=160) evaluated ten medical scenarios in either Mandarin Chinese or American English.
- Participants judged familiarity, perceived severity (incurability, distress, pain, social harm), and rated beliefs about medical decision-making.
Main Results:
- Medical conditions were perceived as less severe (easier to cure, less painful, less distressing) when processed in English.
- English processing increased endorsement of individualistic beliefs (e.g., challenging doctors, accepting experimental treatments) compared to collectivistic norms.
Conclusions:
- Language activation influences emotions and values, impacting health-related decision-making.
- The study highlights the psychological impact of language context on health judgments and beliefs in an applied medical context.
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