The Effect of First and Second Language Use on Divergent Thinking in Problem Solving

Authors

  • Sofia Calvo Delft University of Technology, Postbus 5, 2600 AA Delft, The Netherlands
  • Jop Goekoop Delft University of Technology, Postbus 5, 2600 AA Delft, The Netherlands

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23726/cij.2025.1752

Keywords:

divergent thinking, Language, Creativity

Abstract

This study aims to explore the relationship of the language used when solving a problem, and the creative ability to find a solution for it. For this, participants completed a task in their first language, and a similar task in their second language and the results were evaluated on fluency, flexibility and originality. The findings suggest that the use of second language can be a disadvantage if the speaker does not use it fluently, while it can be an advantage for frequent users since it provides a separation from first language associations and conditionings.

References

Boroditsky, L. (2001). Does language shape thought? Cognition, 79(1), 1–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0010-0277(00)00152-1

CERN. (nd.). Our people. https://home.cern/about/who-we-are/our-people

Deng, L., Wang, L., & Zhao, Y. (2016). How Creativity Was Affected by Environmental Factors and Individual Characteristics: A Cross-cultural Comparison Perspective. Creativity Research Journal, 28(3), 357–366. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2016.1195615

Deutscher, G. (2010). Through the language glass: Why the world looks different in other languages. Metropolitan Books.

Ivaz, L., Costa, A., & Duñabeitia, J. A. (2016). The emotional impact of being myself: Emotions and foreign-language processing. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 42(3), 489–496. https://doi.org/10.1037/xlm0000179

Reiter-Palmon, R. (2019). Scoring divergent thinking tests: A review and systematic analysis. University of Nebraska at Omaha. https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/psychfacpub/1253

Runco, M. A., & Acar, S. (2012). Divergent thinking as an indicator of creative potential. Creativity Research Journal, 24(1), 66–75. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2012.652929

Sapir, E. (1929). The status of linguistics as a science. Language, 5(4), 207–214. https://doi.org/10.2307/409588

Tang, C., Huang, D., & Cheung, A. K. F. (2025). Cognitive constraints in bilingual processing—an entropy-based discrimination between translation and second language production. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, Article 1503147. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1503147

Whorf, B. L. (1956). Language, thought, and reality: Selected writings (J. B. Carroll, Ed.). MIT Press.

Downloads

Published

2025-11-19

How to Cite

Calvo, S., & Goekoop, J. (2025). The Effect of First and Second Language Use on Divergent Thinking in Problem Solving. CERN IdeaSquare Journal of Experimental Innovation, 9(2), 23–27. https://doi.org/10.23726/cij.2025.1752

Issue

Section

Original Articles

Categories