The effect of the foreign language on cognitive reappraisal during exposure to a phobic stimulus

The foreign language effect shows that emotional reactivity is reduced when we use a second language instead of our native one to address different situations. The present study aims to test whether the use of cognitive reappraisal could be influenced by the participants language (native/foreign). For this purpose, a sample of 60 participants with subclinical phobia to cockroaches was exposed to several phobic and neutral pictures while they used cognitive reappraisal in their native or in a foreign language. Physiological measures (pupil dilation and electrodermal activity) and self-reports of affective valence and arousal were collected. Results show an overall effectiveness of the strategy of reappraisal in both languages. Additionally, the use of a foreign language depicts a decrease in the affective negativity of the threat stimuli in terms of valence. The ratings of arousal also show a general higher arousal as an effect of the use of a foreign language. The present results suggest that using a foreign language could be advantageous to reduce negative emotionality by reappraisal. However, it could be a barrier for reappraising non-unpleasant pictures. Further studies should explore the foreign language effect in psychotherapy to open new ways of approaching different disorders.