The foreign language effects on strategic behavior games

Abstract

The present study examined foreign language effects on the decisions made in a series of strategic behavioral games (e.g., the Prisoner’s Dilemma, the Oligopolistic Competition, and the Volunteer’s Dilemma). We recruited 154 native Chinese-speaking university students, with English as their second language, as participants. They were asked to make decisions while playing four simple behavioral games in either Chinese or English language version and to complete a Language History Questionnaire. The results showed that 1) the participants in each language group performed differently in the Prisoner’s Dilemma Game and in one condition of the Volunteer’s Dilemma Game which involved a relatively high level of uncertainty; and 2) foreign language proficiency, frequency of application and cultural identity triggered by the corresponding foreign language moderated the foreign language effects. This pattern of results is consistent with the Cultural Accommodation Hypothesis and the risk-aversion preference to use one’s native language.