The Influence of a Foreign Versus Native Language on Creativity

Abstract

Creativity may be enhanced by contextual factors that contribute to a divergence from conventional and habitual modes of thought. Two studies tested the prediction that a foreign language (that is frequently associated with moving away from the routine experiences) will contribute to originality of solutions, compared to one’s native language. Findings demonstrate that a foreign language confers benefits for creativity on well-established nonverbal tasks. Participants were more creative in designing t-shirt outlines (Study 1) and in drawing an alien character for a story (Study 2) within the context of their foreign, as compared to the native, language. The potential underlying mechanisms and implications of the effect are discussed.

Notes

¹ Additional aspects of creativity beyond originality (e.g., fluency, flexibility, and insight) may be differentially influenced by using a foreign rather than native language. For example, it may be the case that the responses differ in terms of content (e.g., more flexibility in a foreign language), rather than quantity (e.g., no difference in fluency); such influences of the language context should be comprehensively assessed in future research.