2023-06-28 06:30:00
A study published by Journal of Experimental Psychology: General points out that exercising a second language can generate several benefits against false memories. This is due to the higher level of memory monitoring when faced with a different language.
Developing a new language requires more attention to the brain power needed to avoid language mistakes. The researchers at the University of Chicago (UChicago), USA, responsible for the study, point out that this happens because in these cases a different reasoning system is used — less automatic and instinctive.
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“When you’re using a second language, it triggers this mindset of being more careful with your judgments and decision-making,” says David Gallo, leader of the Memory Research Laboratory at UChicago. “You may not even be aware you are doing it.”
This goes against the idea that just because you’re using a foreign language doesn’t mean every decision you make will be worse.
Leigh Grant, lead author of the research
Tests created false memories
To prove this thesis, the researchers developed two activities involving false memories in a group of volunteers. Find out how they worked:
The first test had the participation of 120 native speakers of Mandarin Chinese who had English as their second language; They received a list of words in both languages, and, when asked about them, some synonyms were cited — even without being on the list;A team reported that this happens as a type of attraction, where the brain fills in by association.
“We found that people were less likely to falsely remember these missing words if they were presented in their secondary language compared to their native language,” reports Gallo.
The second test looked at how the memory of something is altered by information you learn later. The group of volunteers watched a silent video about a crime. Then the same video was presented with the audios in both languages. As a result, participants reported false memories on the display of their own language.
“In fact, we found that when people get misleading information in their foreign language, they are more likely to pick it up than when they get it in their native language,” Grant said.
With information from MedicalXpress
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