Utilitarian Moral Agents Are Perceived as Braver and More Moral When Judged in a Foreign Language: Evidence From Tanzania

Abstract

We examined how language affects moral judgments in a non-WEIRD population. Tanzanian participants (N = 103) evaluated utilitarian agents in moral dilemmas, either in native Chagga or foreign Swahili. Agents were rated significantly more moral and braver when evaluated in a foreign language. Bravery predicted morality more strongly in the foreign language than in the native language. Indirect sacrifices were judged more moral than direct ones, but equally brave. These findings extend the moral foreign language effect to informally acquired languages and highlight methodological implications for cross-cultural research. © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press.