APS
30th APS Annual Convention · 2018
Embarrassment Speaks a Second Language
- Becky Ka Ying Lau
University of Chicago Booth School of Business - Becky Ka Ying Lau
University of Chicago - Boaz Keysar
The University of Chicago
Abstract
Talking about safe sex is important but embarrassing. We find that people are willing to do that more in a foreign language. Chinese-English bilinguals indicated in which language they would discuss sex-related topics. They preferred English for embarrassing and Chinese for non-embarrassing topics, likely because a foreign language reduces emotionality.
Bilingualism
