TY - JOUR

T1 - Language and transient emotional states affect implicit cultural bias

T2 - Bilinguals in the mood for culture

AU - Ellis, Ceri

AU - Hadden, Lowri

AU - Jones, Manon Wyn

N1 - This work was supported by the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol

PY - 2019/5

Y1 - 2019/5

N2 - Bilinguals react to cultural information in a language-dependent fashion; but it is unknown whether this is influenced by the individual’s emotional state. Here, we show that induced mood states increase cultural bias – measured using the Implicit Association Test (IAT) – but this effect occurs asymmetrically across languages. In the native language, bilinguals show a strong cultural bias, which is not influenced by mood. But in the non-native language, a relatively low cultural bias significantly increases as a function of a positive or negative mood. Our findings suggest that the native language promotes an inherent cultural bias, which is impervious to fluctuations in the bilingual’s mood state. In the second language, however, bilinguals are culturally impartial, unless they are in a heightened mood state.

AB - Bilinguals react to cultural information in a language-dependent fashion; but it is unknown whether this is influenced by the individual’s emotional state. Here, we show that induced mood states increase cultural bias – measured using the Implicit Association Test (IAT) – but this effect occurs asymmetrically across languages. In the native language, bilinguals show a strong cultural bias, which is not influenced by mood. But in the non-native language, a relatively low cultural bias significantly increases as a function of a positive or negative mood. Our findings suggest that the native language promotes an inherent cultural bias, which is impervious to fluctuations in the bilingual’s mood state. In the second language, however, bilinguals are culturally impartial, unless they are in a heightened mood state.

KW - Language

KW - Culture

KW - Emotion

KW - Bias

KW - Implicit Association Test

U2 - 10.1177/1747021818792412

DO - 10.1177/1747021818792412

M3 - Article

VL - 72

SP - 1242

EP - 1249

JO - Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology

JF - Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology

SN - 1747-0218

IS - 5

ER -