Researchers at a major U.S. institution examined how language choice can influence our susceptibility to misinformation. Their work, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, suggests that presenting a message in a non-native language can reduce the likelihood that people accept false statements as true. The study builds on a growing interest in how cognitive processing shifts when bilinguals or multilingual individuals switch between languages, and what that means for everyday information consumption in multilingual societies across North America.
The first part involved 120 participants who were native Chinese speakers with functional English proficiency. They were exposed to lists of semantically related words in both Chinese and English—think terms like sleep, bed, rest, and related concepts. After hearing or reading the lists, participants were tested on their memory for the words with a twist: a word such as tree might not be on the list, yet participants were asked to identify whether it had appeared. The results showed a notable bias when the task was performed in the native language. Specifically, participants tended to falsely recall nonpresented items as having been part of the list, signaling that native-language contexts can heighten susceptibility to certain kinds of memory distortions.
In a second experiment, native Chinese speakers watched silent crime clips. They then listened to narratives about the same incidents, with some versions delivered in English and others in Chinese. The stories varied in factual accuracy, containing both true and invented details. When asked to recount what they remembered, participants demonstrated a higher rate of incorrect details when the stories were in their own language, compared with versions delivered in the non-native language. These findings point to a clearer pattern: language frailty or fluency can shape how details are encoded, recalled, and judged as accurate, influencing the confidence with which misinformation is accepted or rejected.
From a cognitive perspective, the researchers propose that processing in a non-native language engages more deliberate, effortful thought processes. In contrast, native-language processing tends to rely on fast, automatic cues that can be prone to memory distortions. This distinction has practical implications beyond the lab. In legal settings, political campaigns, and public health messaging, presenting information in a non-native language, when appropriate and respectful, might reduce the ease with which false memories spread or are reinforced, especially in populations with high multilingual exposure. The study also alludes to the broader question of how language environments shape the quality of memory, judgment, and decision making in diverse, multilingual communities across North America.
Researchers emphasize that the effect does not suggest ignoring native language contexts but rather leveraging language choices to support critical evaluation of information. As millions of migrants and multilingual residents navigate daily life in countries where they regularly use a second language, awareness of language-related memory dynamics can inform responsible communication, education, and media literacy initiatives. The findings encourage policymakers, educators, and journalists to consider language as a factor in designing strategies that promote accurate understanding and reduce the spread of misinformation across communities with varied linguistic backgrounds.
In sum, the work highlights a surprising link between language and memory accuracy. When information is processed in a non-native tongue, people may apply more careful scrutiny, potentially filtering out false cues that would otherwise be misinterpreted as true. This has practical implications for how facts are presented in legal briefs, political messaging, and public safety campaigns to support clearer understanding and more reliable memory, particularly in multilingual settings.
The authors note that hundreds of millions of migrants, refugees, and people living in multilingual regions may benefit from this effect. It suggests that language choice can be a simple, practical tool to improve the discernment of truth from fiction in everyday information encounters, contributing to more informed decision making in diverse societies.
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