The Impact of Foreign Language on Meta-Reasoning in Moral Decisions

This research investigates the moral Foreign Language Effect (mFLE) from a metacognitive perspective. Grounded in the Dual-Process framework, previous research posits using a foreign language evokes more utilitarianism by dampening emotional responses and promoting analytical reasoning. However, the role of metacognition remains underexplored. The study hypothesizes that reasoning in a foreign language will lower the Feeling of Rightness (FOR), reflecting increased uncertainty and prompting more reevaluation. Adopting a decision-redecision paradigm, participants' responses to moral dilemmas in their native and foreign languages were compared. Analytical methods included linear mixed effects models to evaluate language effects on decisions, decision times, redecision times, FORs, Final Judgment of Confidence (FJC), and decision reversals, with language proficiency considered as a potential moderating factor. Across two preregistered studies, results indicated that while there was no FLE in moral decisions or inclinations, foreign language impacted metacognition. Study 1 found that foreign language significantly increased decision times while lowering FOR and FJC with a higher rate of decision reversals. Study 2, using a Process Dissociation approach, revealed a nuanced understanding of FLE on metacognition in relation to relative proficiency and specific dilemma sets. Across both studies, lower FOR was consistently correlated with longer redecision times and a higher probability of decision reversal, confirming its role in prompting analytical thinking. The findings aim to further enhance the understanding of the FLE, providing insight on how language might alter metacognitive monitoring and control. This research holds implications for decision-making in multilingual contexts, emphasizing language's role in cognitive and metacognitive processes.