ERIC Number: EJ1387104
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0143-4632
EISSN: EISSN-1747-7557
Available Date: N/A
It's Easier to Kill a Baby to Save Oneself than a Fat Man to Save Other People: The Effect of Moral Dilemma and Age on Russian-English Bilinguals' Moral Reasoning
Mills, Shantel; Nicoladis, Elena
Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, v44 n4 p265-274 2023
Previous research has shown that bilinguals respond differently to moral dilemmas posed in each of their languages, tending to make deontologically-based decisions (based on right or wrong) in their first language and utilitarian decisions (bringing about the most good) in their second language. In the present study, we tested several predictors of bilinguals' moral reasoning: language (L1 Russian or L2 English), gender, proficiency, age, and dilemma. We included two different personal moral dilemmas: one involving saving the lives of others (by killing a fat man) and one involving saving one's own life (by killing a baby). Russian-English bilinguals responded to one of these dilemmas in Russian and the other in English. The results showed only two significant predictors of responses: dilemma and age. The bilinguals made more deontological decisions for the dilemma about saving others and more utilitarian decisions for the dilemma involving saving their own lives. The participants who gave deontological responses were slightly older than those who gave utilitarian responses. We argue that factors other than language may be more important in bilinguals' moral reasoning.
Descriptors: Bilingualism, Moral Values, Predictor Variables, Native Language, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Gender Differences, Age Differences, Language Proficiency, Decision Making, Contrastive Linguistics, Language Role, Video Technology, Cartoons
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
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Author Affiliations: N/A