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

In decision-making people react differently to positive wordings than to negatives, which may be caused by negativity bias: a difference in emotional force of these wordings. 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. For this task we did observe a Foreign Language Effect, indicating more utilitarian choices when the dilemma is presented in L2. Hence, for advanced L2 users in Spanish and English, in two experiments we find no support for the Emotional Resonance Hypothesis with framing tasks, but we do find evidence for an effect of emotional resonance in a footbridge dilemma.