The complex relationship between number of languages spoken and individuals’ personality, self-esteem and ideology

Adrian Furnham; Jean-Marc Dewaele

The complex relationship between number of languages spoken and individuals’ personality, self-esteem and ideology

Furnham, Adrian ^[1] ; Dewaele, Jean-Marc ^[2]
1. [1] BI Norwegian Business School
  
  BI Norwegian Business School
  
  Noruega
2. [2] University of London
  
  University of London
  
  Reino Unido
Localización: International journal of multilingualism, ISSN 1479-0718, Vol. 22, Nº. 4, 2025, págs. 2682-2696
Idioma: inglés
DOI: 10.1080/14790718.2025.2480804
Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
Resumen
- A total of 843 adults from a number of different English-speaking countries indicated how many languages they speak reasonably well and provided background information on their demographic profile, their personality, their Self-esteem and their ideological views. Just over half were monolinguals, a third were bilinguals with the remaining participants being trilinguals. We correlated number of languages spoken with demography (age, education, sex), ideology (religious beliefs and political views), Self-esteem, and personality (as assessed by six work-related traits). Correlation and regression analysis showed that Self-esteem, Religiousness and trait Curiosity were most closely positively related to the number of languages spoken, while a surprising negative relationship emerged with trait Ambiguity Tolerance. There was also some indication that education (degree status) was related to number of languages spoken. Implications of the findings and limitations are considered.
Referencias bibliográficas
- Achaa-Amankwaa, P., Kushnereva, E., Miksch, H., Stumme, J., Heim, S., & Ebersbach, M. (2023). Multilingualism is associated with small...
- Allen, M. S., Iliescu, D., & Greiff, S. (2022). Single item measures in psychological science: A call to action. European Journal of Psychological...
- Ayyash-Abdo, H., & Sanchez-Ruiz, M. J. (2011). Subjective wellbeing and its relationship with academic achievement and multilinguality...
- Barakos, E., & Selleck, C. (2019). Elite multilingualism: Discourses, practices, and debates. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural...
- Barčot, K. (2020). The effect of multilingualism on personality. Undergraduate dissertation, RIT Croatia. https://urn.nsk.hr/urn:nbn:hr:229:529676
- Barros, S. R. (2016). Rejecting babel: Examining multilingualism without citizenship in the U.S. Postnational scenario. Current Issues in...
- Beisbart, C. (2021). Complexity in multilingualism. Language Learning, 71(S1), 39–79. https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12426
- Bergkvist, L., & Rossiter, J. R. (2007). The predictive validity of multiple-item versus single-item measures of the same constructs....
- Berthele, R. (2021). The extraordinary ordinary: Re-engineering multilingualism as a natural category. Language Learning, 71(S1), 80–120....
- Cervone, D., & Pervin, L. A. (2022). Personality: Theory and research. John Wiley & Sons.
- Chen, X., He, J., Swanson, E., Cai, Z., & Fan, X. (2022). Big five personality traits and second language learning: A meta-analysis of...
- Cruz-Ferreira, M. (2010). Multilinguals are … ? Battlebridge Publications.
- Cuppello, S., Treglown, L., & Furnham, A. (2023). Personality and management level: Traits that get you to the top. Personality and Individual...
- De Houwer, A., & Ortega, L. (to appear). Simultaneous and sequential acquisition of multiple languages. In J. Schwieter, & J.-M. Dewaele...
- Dekeyser, G. N. M., Dewaele, J.-M., & De Leersnyder, J. (2024). Do bilinguals have an emotional advantage? An exploratory study on the...
- Dewaele, J.-M., & Botes, E. (2020). Does multilingualism shape personality? An exploratory investigation. International Journal of Bilingualism,...
- Dewaele, J.-M., & Ip, T. S. (2013). The link between foreign language classroom anxiety, second language tolerance of ambiguity and self-rated...
- Dewaele, J.-M., & Stavans, A. (2014). The effect of immigration, acculturation and multicompetence on personality profiles of Israeli...
- Dewaele, J.-M., & van Oudenhoven, J. P. (2009). The effect of multilingualism/multiculturalism on personality. International Journal of...
- Dewaele, J.-M., & Wei, L. (2013). Is multilingualism linked to a higher tolerance of ambiguity? Bilingualism: Language & Cognition,...
- Edwards, J. (2023). Multilingualism: Understanding linguistic diversity. Bloomsbury Publishing.
- Farr, M., & Song, J. (2011). Language ideologies and policies: Multilingualism and education. Language and Linguistics Compass, 5(9),...
- Furnham, A. (2017). Ambiguity intolerance. In R. Parrott (Ed.), Oxford encyclopedia of health and risk message design and processing (pp....
- Furnham, A., & Heaven, P. (1999). Personality and social behavior. Arnold.
- Furnham, A., & Treglown, L. (2018). High potential personality and intelligence. Personality and Individual Differences, 128, 81–87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2018.02.025
- Greve, W., Koch, M., Rasche, V., & Kersten, K. (2024). Extending the scope of the ‘cognitive advantage’ hypothesis: Multilingual individuals...
- Grosjean, F. (2015). Bicultural bilinguals. International Journal of Bilingualism, 19(5), 572–586. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367006914526297
- Gross, B., & Dewaele, J.-M. (2018). The relation between multilingualism and basic human values among primary-school-children in south...
- Guerrero, C. H. (2010). Elite vs. Folk bilingualism: The mismatch between theories and educational and social conditions. æ, 17, 165–179.
- Hastie, L. C. (2023). Gender, multilingualism and self-esteem as possible predictors for children’s attitudes towards translanguaging (Master's...
- Koch, M. J., Greve, W., & Kersten, K. (2023). Extending the cognitive advantage hypothesis: A conceptual replication study of the relationship...
- Korzilius, H., Hooft, A., Planken, B., & Hendrikx, C. (2011). Birds of different feathers? International Journal of Intercultural Relations,...
- Lepp-Kaethler, E., & Dörnyei, Z. (2013). The role of sacred texts in enhancing motivation and living the vision in second language acquisition....
- Lowie, W., & Verspoor, M. (2011). The dynamics of multilingualism: Levelt’s speaking model revisited. In M. S. Schmid, & W. Lowie...
- Omoniyi, T. (2012). Multilingualism and religion. In M. Martin-Jones, A. Blackledge, & A. Creese (Eds.), The routledge handbook of multilingualism...
- Pavlenko, A. (2024). Multilingualism and historical amnesia: An introduction. In A. Pavlenko (Ed.), Multilingualism and history (pp. 1–49)....
- Schwieter, J., & Dewaele, J.-M. (to appear). Multilingualism: Foundations and the state of the interdisciplinary Art. Bloomsbury Publishing.
- Teodorescu, A., Furnham, A., & MacRae, I. (2017). Trait correlates of success at work. International Journal of Selection and Assessment,...
- Ushioda, E. (2013). Christian faith, motivation and l2 learning: Personal, social and research perspectives. In M. Shepard Wong, C. Kristjansson,...
- van Oudenhoven, J. P., Timmerman, M. E., & van Der Zee, K. (2007). Cross-cultural equivalence and validity of the multicultural personality...
- Vogl, U. (2018). Standard language ideology and multilingualism: Results from a survey among European students. European Journal of Applied...
- Wei, R., & Hu, Y. (2019). Exploring the relationship between multilingualism and tolerance of ambiguity: A survey study from an EFL context....