Resource-Independent Negative Effects of Foreign Language on Analogical Problem Solving

Abstract

It has been shown that analogical problem solving is more difficult when a target problem is written in a foreign language than in one's native language. Possible resource-independence of this negative effect of a foreign language was investigated. After reading an analog or a filler story, participants solved a target problem written in their native or a foreign language. Those who read the problem in their native language performed a concurrent task to reduce their available processing resources. Nevertheless, they were better able to solve it than those who read the problem in a foreign language after reading the analog. This indicates that reading the problem in a foreign language decreases analogical problem-solving ability in a resource-independent manner.