Does foreign language liberate or limit creativity? Three experiments on foreign language anxiety and use, and divergent and convergent thinking

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of being forced to work in a foreign language on individuals’ ability to be creative. Foreign language is expected to, respectively, hamper and strengthen individuals’ divergent and convergent thinking. However, because emotional responses to language differ, foreign language anxiety is expected to dampen these effects. Results from three experiments show that individuals with low foreign language anxiety have, on average, 58 % higher convergent thinking scores in the foreign language setting than those working in their native language. However, for highly anxious individuals, these scores become 49 % lower. The predictions for divergent thinking see weaker support. These results complement prior work investigating knowledge transfer and integration in response to foreign language use by focusing on processes related to knowledge generation. Moreover, by illustrating how individuals are differently affected by foreign language mandates, we contribute to the ongoing debate regarding whether language standardization is preferable to individualization.