Muttersprache und Altruismus

Für das hier auf dem Blog langfristig bearbeitete Thema "Altruismus in menschlichen Gruppen" stellt sich muttersprachliche Prägung immer deutlicher als ein wichtiges Phänomen heraus und als ein wichtiger Faktor bei der Modellierung des altruistischen Verhaltens. Darauf muß an anderer Stelle noch einmal detaillierter zurückgekommen werden.

Jedenfalls paßt ein neuer Bericht im "New Scientist" hervorragend zu einer solchen Berücksichtigung der muttersprachlichen Prägung. (Hier der Originalartikel.)

How switching language can change your personality

Bicultural people may unconsciously change their personality when they switch languages, according to a US study on bilingual Hispanic women.

It found that women who were actively involved in both English and Spanish speaking cultures interpreted the same events differently, depending on which language they were using at the time.

It is known that people in general can switch between different ways of interpreting events and feelings – a phenomenon known as frame shifting. But the researchers say their work shows that bilingual people that are active in two different cultures do it more readily, and that language is the trigger.

One part of the study got the volunteers to watch TV advertisements showing women in different scenarios. The participants initially saw the ads in one language – English or Spanish – and then six months later in the other.

Researchers David Luna from Baruch College, New York, US, and Torsten Ringberg and Laura Peracchio from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, US, found that women classified themselves and others as more assertive (anspruchsvoll, anmaßend) when they spoke Spanish than when they spoke English.

"In the Spanish-language sessions, informants perceived females as more self-sufficient and extroverted," they say.

For example, one person saw the main character in the Spanish version of a commercial as a risk-taking, independent woman, but as hopeless, lonely, and confused in the English version.

Es ist natürlich klar, daß ich mich jeweils anders altruistisch verhalte, daß ich auf andere Weise kooperiere, Vertrauen anderen Menschen entgegenbringe, je nach dem, wie ich die Welt erlebe. Das heißt: Muttersprachliche Prägung wirkt - ganz unabhängig von den Genen - hin auf eine Vereinheitlichung der sozialen Wahrnehmung und des Sozialverhaltens all derer, die diese Muttersprache sprechen. Im Grunde ist das eine Banalität. Aber ich glaube, die Altruismus-Forscher haben solche Dinge bislang noch viel zu wenig berücksichtigt bei ihren Modellen zur Evolution des menschlichen Altruismus.

Ich halte es für sehr plausibel, daß gerade von frühem Lebensalter an zweisprachig aufgezogene und immer noch zweisprachig und bikulturell lebende Menschen diese Unterschiede besonders intensiv erleben.

Dazu gibt es auch schöne Leser(innen)kommentare. Nela schreibt:

If you only speak the languages but do not belong to the culture is not the same. I studied Germane and Latin in school but do not "feel" the culture. Being a part of two cultures (growing up in one, and living in the other) makes the difference, not just speaking the language. Although I believe it does not happen to all bi-cultural individuals, it surely happens to many if not most. I wrote more about that in comments, you may read it if interested.

Und ein anderer (Anonymer) sagt ganz genauso:

I know that if the same exact things were said by an American versus an Asian, it would sometimes indicate totally different things to me. This study just shows that people look for the meaning behind the message.

Und Kommentatorin Corazon M. Redolme sagt:

Ok, what about women who grew up in 2 languages, mother tongue and english simultaneously.We learned English as childen but the mother tongue has the advantage of being spoken more frequently. And our mother tongue is made up of Spanish,English and a combination of Asian languages in the region. Anyway, all in all I feel more empowered when speaking in mother tongue although i speak english just as fluent.maybe because due to the standing of women in cultures with strong spanish influence, in catholicism, women are honored because of Mary the mother of Jesus.

Ein langes – aber auch spannendes – Thema.