Language plays such a significance role in human life. With language, not only individual perceive his/her experience, but also transfer his/her knowledge related to the experience, to others. So language does shape human’s experience and hence shape individual’s life.
But does language mastery related to individual’s characteristic? It’s an interesting question to figure out. Many bilingual individuals say they feel like a different person depending on which language they are speaking. How can this be? A new study might shine some light on their claims.
Nairan Ramirez-Esparza, a psychology doctoral student at the University of Texas at Austin, charted the personality traits of 225 Spanish/English bilingual subjects in both the U.S. and Mexico as they responded to questions presented in each language. The study ends up with the following conclusions: when using English, the bilinguals were more extraverted, agreeable and conscientious than when using Spanish.
Many previous researches have shown that bicultural individuals can assume
different roles depending on environmental cues. But the new results indicate that character itself can morph. "To show that changes in personality - albeit modest ones - can be triggered by something as subtle as the language you're speaking suggests that personality is more malleable than is widely expected," Ramirez-esparza says.
This study might cast some doubts on whether the translation of the questions is accurate or not, although all subjects were truly fluent with both languages. "The results are significant in that they document the contextual nature of personality," Says Daniel Heller, a psychology professor at the University of waterloo in Ontario, not involved in the research.
Related Articles
What's Her Type? Keys to Understanding Your Child
By: Dede Perkins | 16/05/2008 | Parenting
Instead of worrying that your child doesn't sit still or sits still too much, that she dreams too much or dreams too little, that she's too outgoing or not outgoing enough, relax. Instead, try to understand her true nature and parent accordingly.
7 Steps To Successful Relationship
By: James Burgess | 17/03/2007 | Relationships
There's a big difference between a casual love affair and a relationship where both are hoping to be together in the long term. Life partnerships are much more committed, serious involvements that touch upon all aspects of our lives. We share much more than just the occasional night together; usually...
7 Words - Intuitive Communication Model
By: James Burgess | 17/03/2007 | Self Help
Many people are justifiably concerned that their way of life is permanently at risk from climate changes, war and pollution. The problem lies in the way we think. Humanity has misunderstood the nature of reality and is now facing the inevitable consequences of having ignored all the signs that indicated...
Turnkey Internet Business
By: Leonard Bartholomew | 22/05/2006 | Business Opportunities
Find A Turnkey Internet Business Keyed To Your Own Personality Traits.
The Art of Effective Business Communication
By: jaya sinha | 16/07/2008 | Ask an Expert
The article focuses on the importance of communication in business.
7 Strategies For Feeding Success Thoughts To Your Brain
By: Juanita Bellavance | 10/09/2005 | Business
Same thing over and
over in various ways and by various successful people, there
must be something to it so take the coaching and apply the
strategies.
7 strategies for.
The Secret Language Of Influence
By: Jason Johns | 20/04/2006 | Self Help
The words you use are a secret programming language that influences yourself and the people around you. Discover how to use these words to harness that power and influence.
Translation Without Tears
By: Peter Bennett | 10/08/2006 | Communication
Poor translations can drastically affect any business. Any slip can damage sales pitches, relationships and future business, says Peter Bennett CEO of London Translations Limited. In this article, Peter explains how to purchase translation services so you avoid the embarrassing, all too common mistakes in international communications.
Got a Question? Ask.
Ask the community a question about this article:
Frequently Asked Questions
Help please?
By: actressandwriter | 24-10-2008
i hate myself. is this just low self esteem or because ive been rejected so many times? am i depressed or what?? sometimes i have suicidal thoughts. how do i tell my parents so i can get help? I act like this cheery little girl all the time. no one would believe me.
I Am notarizing a translation of a document that I ...
By: Arnie | 24-10-2008
I Am notarizing a translation of a document that I translated , what shall I write to certtifed that the translation is true and correct.
How do you pronounce this?
By: HH | 24-10-2008
"guelma" how do you pronounce this word?
I have lymphoma since having node removed from ...
By: debbie | 24-10-2008
i have lymphoma since having node removed from neck i have unbearable pain in my shoulder has something gone wrong
I am in my late teens. I feel sad and depressed ...
By: lonely | 24-10-2008
I am in my late teens. I feel sad and depressed and somehow lonely. All my friends are involved in clubs and organisations. i dont want to be in them but the fact that i'm not, makes me feel left out. also, all of them have boyfriends and i don't and that makes me feel strange in their company sometimes...
How to deal with a
By: Frank | 23-10-2008
How to deal with a "Jewish Princess"
Q&A Powered by:
Latest Psychology Articles
What Do You Do When Your Spouse Goes to Jail?
By: Jennifer Baxt | 11/11/2008
Are you dealing with your spouse going to jail? How do you cope? Find out how to get help through online counseling if you are struggling with this issue.
Everybody Can Turn Into a Monster
By: David Evangelisti | 11/11/2008
Good people make bad things. We have learnt it by the studies of Zimbardo, Milgram, Bandura and Staub
Viewing Aura Colors Through Biofeedback
By: Temp | 10/11/2008
Many people hear the term "aura cameras" and assume that the technology is false. After all, for years, auras were relegated to the visions of psychics who claimed to be able to see auras around people. This was subject to much criticism from skeptics who were quick to ask for scientific proof that could not be provided by those who had this ability.
Got Persuasion?
By: H. Bernard Wechsler | 10/11/2008
If you discover the difference between Negative and
Positive Feedback, you will double the number of folks
you persuade, influence and convince.
Adolescent Childbearing Factors as Determinant of Safe Motherhood in Abeokuta Metropolis of Ogun State, Nigeria
By: OLADEJI DAVID | 09/11/2008
This study examined the influence of adolescent childbearing factors and safe motherhood in Abeokuta Metropolis, Nigeria.
What the Egyptian Sorcerers Said to Pharaoh Before He Has Killed Them?
By: Safaa Abdel-Aziz | 06/11/2008
the Egyptian sorcerers said to Pharaoh just before he has killed them:
You are vindictive, spiteful, towards us, you are censuring and punishing us, only because we have believed in the signs of Allah, Our Lord, when they came to us.
A Blind Doctor?
By: Thomas Greenslade | 04/11/2008
Even the most brilliant or practical of men make many grave errors because they are in spiritual darkness. They cannot see what is right in front of them. They make fundamental errors and go in completely the wrong direction because they are in darkness. Few people are really helped by their psychological or spiritual counsel. They may be helped just a little, just enough to keep them trusting, and be misled, and even be destroyed because the person they trusted was blind.
The Power of not Accepting What You Experience as Reality
By: Broderick Boyd | 02/11/2008
Not accepting what you are experiencing as reality is a valuable tool because it will help you to discover what you really want in your life and how to get it, it will boost your faith in perusing your goal, and lastly it will make it more difficult for other people and external circumstances to influence you against your will.
More from Yovan P. Putra
Improving Concentration
By: Yovan P. Putra | 03/10/2008 | Psychology
Everyone knows that it is impossible to concentrate with a splitting headache, but now neuroscientists can explain why.
Stress Could Lead to Memory Problems and Disease
By: Yovan P. Putra | 30/09/2008 | College & University
To have good memory, not only individual must know the principles and tools of memory boosting, but one should also protects himself from chronic exposure to emotional stressor.
Watching Comedy as a Remedy
By: Yovan P. Putra | 17/09/2008 | Psychology
Unlike watching suspenseful movies or reading a speech in front of others which will inhibit your problem solving capability, comedy will make you relax hence ready to access personal resource.
Psychological Consequences of Plastic Surgery
By: Yovan P. Putra | 15/09/2008 | Psychology
psychologist began to question whether the patient was mentally stable enough to handle the stressful, high-risk procedure of plastic surgery
Forgetting, Brain Mechanism to Work Effectively and Efficiently
By: Yovan P. Putra | 22/08/2008 | Psychology
Working memory, a form of short-term memory that both passively stores and actively manipulates information, benefits from an inhibition of long-term memory.
Mind Your Head to be Healthy
By: Yovan P. Putra | 08/08/2008 | Psychology
Death rates of optimistic men were 63 percent lower than those of their pouty peers; for women, optimism reduced the rate by 35 percent.
Why Employees Hate Meeting?
By: Yovan P. Putra | 31/07/2008 | Psychology
Most people would say that employees hate office meeting. “It’s one of the anecdotal things that’s hard to question,” says organization psychologist Steven G. Rodelberg, of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Imagination, an Innate Human Capability
By: Yovan P. Putra | 23/07/2008 | Psychology
One presupposition states that imagination is already with us since we were born. A scientific study related to this conducted in Yale University. The ability to distinguish multiple fantasy words may be an innate skill. "Children's metaphysical reasoning is much more complicated than previously, "says Daena Skolnick, a doctoral candidate in psychology at Yale University.
Self Improvement 
About the Author:
