The emotional resonance of negativity: two experiments on valence framing in L1 and L2

The Emotional Resonance Hypothesis (e.g., Costa et al. 2014a; Keysar et al., 2012) predicts that framing effects are larger in a native language than in a foreign one-because emotions are more strongly connected to one’s mother tongue. This is called the Foreign Language effect.

In two experimental studies we tested this prediction for advanced second language learners of Spanish and English and for various types of valence framing effects. In both experiments we find risky-choice framing effects, attribute framing effects, and effects of polarity in survey questions, but these are always equally large for native and foreign language speakers. In our second study, we included a footbridge dilemma.