PDF(Pubmed)
Abstract：
Every day, multilinguals around the world make important healthcare decisions while using a foreign language. The present study examined how the use of a native vs. non-native language shapes evaluations and decisions about preventative care. Bilinguals were randomly assigned to evaluate a series of medical scenarios in either their native or non-native language. Each scenario described potential adverse effects of a medical condition and a preventative treatment, as well as the population risk of disease- or treatment-related complications. Participants judged the perceived negativity and likelihood of experiencing adverse effects and indicated how willing they would be to accept the preventative treatment. We found that bilinguals using a foreign language perceived disease symptoms and treatment side effects to be less negative than those using their native tongue. Foreign language users were also more likely to account for the objective risks associated with medical conditions and treatments when making decisions about preventative care. We conclude that the use of a native vs. foreign language changes how people evaluate the consequences of accepting and declining preventative treatment, with potential implications for millions of providers and patients who routinely make medical choices in their non-native tongue.
摘要：
每一天,世界各地的多种语言在使用外语时做出重要的医疗保健决策。本研究检查了如何使用原生与非母语语言塑造了关于预防性护理的评估和决策。双语者被随机分配以评估其母语或非母语的一系列医疗情景。每种情况都描述了医疗状况和预防性治疗的潜在不利影响，以及疾病或治疗相关并发症的人群风险。参与者判断了感知到的消极情绪和经历不良反应的可能性，并表明他们愿意接受预防性治疗。我们发现，使用外语的双语者对疾病症状和治疗副作用的负面影响要小于使用母语的双语者。外语使用者在做出有关预防性护理的决定时，也更有可能考虑与医疗状况和治疗相关的客观风险。我们得出的结论是，使用本机与外语改变了人们如何评估接受和减少预防性治疗的后果，这对数百万经常用非母语进行医疗选择的提供者和患者有潜在影响。
