Work

Utilitarian moral agents are perceived as braver and more moral when judged in a foreign language: Evidence from Tanzania

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: We examined how language affects moral judgments in a non-WEIRD population. Tanzanian participants (N = 103) evaluated utilitarian agents in moral dilemmas, either in native Chagga or foreign Swahili. Agents were rated significantly more moral and braver when evaluated in a foreign language. Bravery predicted morality more strongly in the foreign language than in the native language. Indirect sacrifices were judged more moral than direct ones, but equally brave. These findings extend the moral foreign language effect to informally acquired languages and highlight methodological implications for cross-cultural research.

Source: Bilingualism Language and Cognition

DOI: 10.1017/s1366728925100837

Authors: Michał Bialek, Wojciech Milczarski, Anna Borkowska, Hatice Kübra Tekşam, Marina Butovskaya, Piotr Sorokowski

Institutions: University of Wrocław, University College of Professional Education, Van Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi, National Research University Higher School of Economics

Language: English

Topic: Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment

Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,550

Funder: Narodowe Centrum Nauki